1.4 Opportunities and Constraints in the Plantation Wood Value Chain Many POs had undertaken tree plantation establishment activities within the island of Leyte. The EnRD Program has been assisting 30 POs in the provinces of Leyte and Southern Leyte. All of the POs have established, and were in fact already nurturing mature tree plantations. Most of them were in the process of securing RUP while some were currently engaged in harvesting activities.
Constraints
POs mentioned several constraints that they encountered in tree plantation establishment, management, harvesting, transporting, and marketing of wood products. Considered as most significant constraints were the following: (1) difficulties in obtaining/securing permits to harvest and transport their forest products; (2) no technology/ lack of equipment/ no capital for furniture processing; (3) limited number of buyers controlling the price of wood; (4) lack of information of buyers and traders regarding the marketing of products; and (5) the poor quality of plantation grown timber that makes them difficult to process into furniture. POs claim that they lack linkages to and information on other potential buyers. For marketing they are mostly dependent upon buyers recommended to them by CENRO personnel. Often, these buyers offer to buy timber at very low prices. This situation leaves POs with no choice in terms of where they could get the best returns for their plantation timber.
Plantation Wood, Rattan and Bamboo in Leyte Island | Value Chains to benefit income generation of forest farmers
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