MITI 28 by Miti Magazine

Growing trees for fuel Catering for a discerning clientele Ugandan small-holders join the carbon trade The tree Abraham planted at Beer-sheba Subscription only

THE TREE FARMERS MAGAZINE FOR AFRICA

A Publication of Better Globe Forestry

Issue No.28 October-December 2015

Making sound economic choices

Should farmers harvest Borassus palm leaves or fruits?

A community success story

Ugandan rural development forestry association reaches new heights of success

Looking for alternative markets Eucalyptus growers in Kenya need to search for new openings

Processing tree products Industry strives to find its place in the economy

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LOCATION: Tabere Crescent no.4, Kileleshwa

Issue No 28 October - December 2015

Editorial

Catering for a discerning clientele

Adding value to tree products

Master Wood Investments has identified a niche market for its high quality products By Diana Ahebwe

The unexplored potential of bamboo

Investor urges Kenyans to adopt an ‘Idle-land-go- bamboo’ policy By Wanjiru Ciira

The mvule tree needs to be preserved

News and views

• Tips on pruning and thinning • Letter to the Editor

On the road to recovery

The sawmilling industry could become one of the pillars of Kenya’s economy By George Muthike

Looking for alternative markets

With the shift to non-wood poles, eucalyptus growers need to look elsewhere for business By Joshua Cheboiwo

Milicia excelsa, a valuable timber species, is threatened with extinction By Gerald Eilu

Work with others, tree-growers advised

Commercial planter sees merit in forming associations By Diana Ahebwe

Eucalyptus clones vs. grandis

Do clones meet requirements for power and telephone poles, scaffolding and fencing? By Charles Odeke

Fuel from wood waste

Kings Biofuels is making briquettes from sawdust, coffee and rice husks By Wanjiru Ciira

ECOTRUST has developed technical specifications, including a method for calculating carbon sequestered By Jan Vandenabeele

Going into uncharted territory

Kenya Bamboo Centre is a pioneer in a largely untapped industry By Wanjiru Ciira

From the lab to the field

Makerere Business Incubation Centre translates research results into products and services By Diana Ahebwe

Ugandan small-holders join the carbon trade

‘Cattle corridor’ under threat

Privatisation of land in Uganda’s livestock landscape has led to devastating droughts and other negative consequences By Patrick Byakagaba

Making sound economic choices

Should farmers harvest Borassus palm leaves or fruits? By Gerald Eilu

A fruit tree with multiple uses

Restoring watersheds in Uganda

The African black olive is food and medicine for the people of equatorial Africa By Francis Omujal

Degradation of ecosystems reduces the quality and availability of resources By Sarah Akello Esimu

Growing trees for fuel

Establishing plantations purely for charcoal could be profitable, study reveals By Charles Odeke

The tree Abraham planted at Beer-sheba

Two species of tamarisk, the shade tree, grow naturally in Kenyan drylands By Francis Gachathi

Commercial tree growers united

The Uganda Tree Growers Association brings together planters for mutual benefit By Diana Ahebwe

A community success story

Ugandan rural development forestry association reaches new heights of success By Jan Vandenabeele

On the cover: Some of the kitchen cabinets on display at the Master Wood workshop at Luzira Industrial Park, in Kampala District. Master Wood uses mahogany, mvule and Elgon teak to make beautiful furniture and interiors. (Photo: Miti Uganda)

Growing trees for fuel Catering for a discerning clientele Ugandan small-ho lders join the carbon trade The tree Abraham planted at Beer-sh eba

Subscription only A Publica tion

of Better Globe Forestr y

THE TREE FARMERS MAGAZINE

Making sound economic cho ices harvest

Should farmers

A community

Borassus palm

FOR

AFRICA Issue No.28 Octobe r-Decem ber 2015

leaves or fruits

success sto Ugandan rural ry deve association show lopment forestry s what is achie vable Looking for

Eucalyptus grow alternative marke ts ers in Kenya to search for need new openings

Processing tre Industry strive e s to find its place products in the econ omy

Editorial

Adding value to tree products

he theme of Miti issue 28 is “Value addition to tree products”. Let us start as usual with a small theoretical introduction. In business, the difference between the sale price and the production cost of a product is the unit profit, and in economics, the sum of the unit profit, the unit depreciation cost, and the unit labour cost is the unit value added. It is, in other words, the enhancement a company gives its product or service before offering the product to customers. In our agro-forestry context, we wanted to find out how to use value addition to tree products as a catalyst for wealth creation. We wish to draw your attention to an excellent paper on the subject written by Dennis Peque and titled “Valueadding in Forestry at the Farm and Community Level”: https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:8170/n10._value_addin. pdf In this issue of Miti magazine, Gerald Eilu directs our thoughts on making sound economic choices in regard to harvesting the borassus palm. In another article, Prof Eilu points out that the mvule tree needs to be preserved as it is threatened with extinction. According to Patrick Byakagaba, privatisation of land in Uganda’s livestock landscape has led to devastating droughts and other negative consequences. On his part, Charles Odeke points to the fact that while the six cattle corridor districts of Uganda are undergoing a transformation, charcoal production can be profitable and tree plantations dedicated to fuel wood may be the way of the future. Mr Odeke further gives his findings on whether eucalyptus clones are strong enough for power and telephone poles, for scaffolding and for fencing. And still on the question of eucalyptus, Joshua Cheboiwo warns that with the shift to non-wood poles, eucalyptus growers in Kenya may need to search for alternative markets. Jan Vandenabeele writes on ECOTRUST, a non-governmental organisation in Uganda that has developed technical specifications, including a method for calculating carbon sequestered, thus allowing Ugandan small-holders to join the carbon trade. Diana Ahebwe interviews Dennis Kavuma, the General Manager of UTGA, while Wanjiru Ciira tackles the subject of bamboo, a largely untapped industry with unexplored potential. Francis Omujal writes of the African black olive, a fruit tree that is food and medicine for the people of the equatorial region of Africa. This, dear readers, will be the last time my name appears under the editorial column as we have transferred the ever-burning Miti magazine flame to Jan Vandenabeele. He becomes the Editor-in-Chief of the publication as I will dedicate my efforts fully to and focus on the larger management of the Better Globe Forestry operations in East Africa. Jan’s knowledge of dryland afforestation, his drive to disseminate the knowledge that we accumulate through the magazine to the larger public and his interaction with our marvellous team of contributors, are a guarantee that the ship will be steered by the right professional hands. Changes are also under way at the level of Managing Editor since Wanjiru Ciira, the founding editor of the magazine, has decided to retire from editing and pursue other interests, starting in January 2016. Jane Gitau, a highly professional and no-nonsense lady with a solid experience in the editing world, will take over. Combined with the advice, help and support of Jan, the future of the magazine looks bright. Never stop enjoying Miti magazine! Jean-Paul Deprins

Published by:

Chairman of the Editorial Board:

Managing Editor

Better Globe Forestry Ltd No. 4, Tabere Crescent, Kileleshwa P.O. Box 823 – 00606 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: + 254 20 434 3435 Mobile: + 254 722 758 745 Email: kenya@mitiafrica.com www.betterglobeforestry.com

Rino Solberg

Wanjiru Ciira

Uganda office: MITI MAGAZINE ® Plot 92, Luthuli Avenue, Bugolobi P.O. Box 22232 Kampala, Uganda Mobile: + 256 775 392 597 Email: uganda@mitiafrica.com www.betterglobeforestry.com

Editor-in-chief

Technical Editor

Jean-Paul Deprins

Jan Vandenabeele

Editorial Committee - Kenya

Country Director - Uganda Julie Solberg

Joshua Cheboiwo, Francis Gachathi, Keith Harley, Enock Kanyanya, James Kung’u, Rudolf Makhanu, Fridah Mugo, Jackson Mulatya, Mary Njenga, Alex Oduor, Leakey Sonkoyo, Jean-Paul Deprins, Jan Vandenabeele and Wanjiru Ciira

Country Representative - Uganda Diana Ahebwe

Editorial Committee - Uganda

Designer

Gerald Eilu, Hillary Agaba, Dickens Sande Bueno, Ponsiano Besesa, Paul Buyera, Sarah Akello Esimu, Dennis Kavuuma, Patrick Byakagaba and Diana Ahebwe

Miti October - December 2015

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NEWS

Cluster members get tips on pruning and thinning BY DIANA AHEBWE

s part of their mandate to spread information to tree-growers on a range of subjects, the Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA) in September 2015 organised the 17th cluster meeting in Kabale District, south western Uganda. The theme of the meeting was ‘‘The impact of timely thinning and pruning on the final timber product’’. Felix Basigire’s plantation was used as a demonstration area for the technical aspects of the cluster meeting. Mr Basigire and his six brothers have accumulated over 50 hectares of land by buying off small pieces of land from the neighbouring communities. Due to a high population density, Kabale District has limited land for forestry and agricultural activities. The forest owners however, have allowed farmers to practice taungya (growing trees together with food crops) as the land was formerly a food basket for communities. This is in breach of Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) standards but the forest owners wanted communities to be part of the project because of the role they play in protecting forests from fires. Tree-growers were instructed on how to assess competition in their plantations and how to determine whether the forest is due for thinning. Thinning is a forest management practice of removing some of the living trees

from the stand at specific times before the final harvest. This reduces competition for nutrients for the good trees and improves the quality of the stand. A good indication of competition is basal area, which is measured in square metres

This is unsettling news

am horrified by the contents of an article on page 36 of the July-September 2015 edition of Miti in which it is said that the Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK) seeks to regulate forestry practice in the country. The FSK has no official status in forestry or any track record of excellence in commercial forestry. How therefore, can it claim the right to regulate what is done by private growers? FSK has put forward a Draft Bill, which among many other things, “makes it mandatory for anyone practising forestry in Kenya to be registered by the Society, and

proposes very punitive penalties to those found engaging in forestry practice without certification.” If I hear that anyone from the FSK is coming to inspect my plantations for registration purposes they can expect to find the way barred. The proposals by the FSK will be a very big disincentive for farmers to invest in commercial forestry. Richard Muir Rongai

per hectare. This can be determined using a bitterlich stick and if the basal area is 20m2 per hectare, then the plantation is due for thinning. Untimely, thinning and pruning have a huge impact on the final timber product. In effect, timber from un-thinned and un-pruned forest plantations attracts a low price on the market. If logs are not straight, one can only get 3in by 2in and 3in by 1in timber, which fetches Ush 5,000 and 3,000 respectively. Straight logs would fetch Ush 12,000 and 15,000 per piece from 4in by 2in and 6in by 2in respectively. Tree-growers were advised to maintain 300 - 350 stems per hectare (out of 1,111 trees at initial stocking) for final harvest after thinning a third to maximise diameter increments. Members were also advised to form smaller groups that would help them monitor one another’s plantation and learn from one another. The writer is the Country Representative, Miti magazine Uganda Email: diana@mitiafrica.com

Miti October - December 2015

LEAD THEME Workers place a log on to a horizontal band saw (Wood Mizer) to convert into timber. (Photo: Miti Uganda)

On the road to recovery The sawmilling industry could become one of the leading pillars of Kenya’s economy BY GEORGE MUTHIKE

he timber processing sector contributes substantially to the growth of national economies of different countries in the world. With natural forests being increasingly protected for the “global good”, plantation-grown trees are the key suppliers of timber for construction in many countries, including Kenya. Due to the continued competition between forest plantations and food crops for limited space in state or communal land, trees growing for timber on farms continue to be important. Farm forestry therefore has a huge potential to meet the demand for more wood, if the vast drylands can also be turned into productive agro forests. This can be achieved through matching the land with the right species and empowering farmers with appropriate skills and technologies. However, outside traditional forest zones, for example in drylands and on farms, wood from unprocessed trees provides relatively little income when sold standing as fuel, posts or unprocessed logs. In some areas, studies on the sawn wood value chain indicated that tree owners get as little as 10 per cent of the sawn

Miti October - December 2015

timber value when they sell standing trees. Before the 1999 government restriction on tree harvesting from state forests, sawmilling provided employment to many people. The ban reduced round wood supplies to most woodbased industries, culminating in the closure of many sawmills in the country. This led to reduced employment opportunities and an acute shortage of timber products, prompting an increase in sawn timber imports from neighbouring countries. Consequently, cross-border timber trade, both legal and illegal, increased. In an effort to sustain their operations, a few sawmillers turned to farms to supplement the supply of saw logs. This, however, became uneconomical due to distances to the tree sources. Local sawyers using small-scale sawing systems took up the operations on farms to provide highly needed sawn timber. A number of researchers estimate that 70 per cent of sawn and other timber products (timber-based panels and poles) come from timber harvested in state plantations, while the remaining 30 per cent comes from private plantations and from the widespread “timber

farming” business. The volumes of logs processed by sawmills was estimated at about 1.8 to 2.0 million cubic metres. Kenya Forest Service (KFS) data shows about 0.9 million cubic metres was sold annually from 2010 to 2014.

Opportunities in wood processing in Kenya Kenyan Vision 2030 places sawmills, together with other small and medium enterprises (SMEs), at the heart of the country’s development plan. Of late, after the logging ban was lifted, many small and medium size sawmills have been revived and a few new ones have come up. According to the KFS Registry, there are about 700 registered sawmillers and 32 producers of treated transmission poles, in addition to about 400 producers of firewood. The reopening of the timber processing industry has restored hope for rural dwellers because employment opportunities are growing with every sawmill that opens. This has also led to the establishment of chains of other businesses. Some previously quiet towns are now active with different businesses, all supported by the timber industry.

A Wood Mizer at work. (Photo: Miti Uganda)

The availability of felling plans by KFS enables site officers to advise the head office on allocation of materials with accuracy, information that is passed on to sawmillers. This is beginning to reduce cases of sawmillers sourcing wood far from their sawmills, and thus being forced to saw the timber with movable bench saws to avoid transport costs.

Challenges in the timber industry Even with the elaborate supply efforts by KFS, the timber industry is still experiencing a shortfall of wood to sustain its operations. This is because the forestry sector is still trying to balance between the number of wood users, their consumption capacity and the available quantities. Many sawmillers are wary of another logging ban, and so do not invest in good production infrastructure. In addition, many credit providers are reluctant to lend to sawmillers owing to the frustration the lenders underwent earlier when the logging ban was imposed. Due to these limitations, quite a number of sawmillers are still operating with obsolete and inefficient processing equipment. Some of that, especially the bench saws, have a timber

recovery rate ranging from as low as 18 per cent to 30 per cent. Most of the machinery used in the sawmilling industry is imported, making it expensive. This not only lowers profits from the business but also jeopardises efforts to increase tree cover in the country. Many sawmills operate in small spaces. Log and sawn timber yards, storage areas for offcuts and cull wood and even the area dedicated to sawmilling are often insufficient. These deficiencies make it difficult to streamline the sawmilling processes, particularly handling of incoming and outgoing materials and its classification and storage by quality. However, some sawmillers have confronted these challenges and invested in efficient sawing systems. Another challenge in setting up production facilities is the lack of skilled personnel. The country lacks competent personnel to install and service most of the imported machinery. Some saw millers, particularly those who have imported horizontal band saws (Wood Mizer) have to import personnel to install and train local operators. Even after the initial training, many are still experiencing challenges in

operating such machinery, which at times has caused losses. With a number of saw millers trying to invest in efficient processing technology, many others operate with simple tractor-mounted bench saws. This has increased the supply of timber in the market, lowering prices equally for all sawmillers.

The future of sawmilling Despite these challenges and weaknesses, timber processing has developed steadily, far exceeding the production levels reached during the 1990s. In fact, in consideration of the average yield/performance of the sawn wood at 33 per cent of 2.0 million cubic metres, the annual production of sawn wood may currently be estimated at 600,000 cubic metres, which is more than three times the 200,000 cubic metres produced during the 1990s. It is also worth noting that a high number of sawmills are located close to plantations and urban centres and often near roads that lead to major urban centres where most of the demand for sawn timber originates. There are a few industrial timber processing units in Kenya specialising in

Miti October - December 2015

different wood products. Timsales, for example, is a productive facility with timber treatment, drying, sawing and production of panels, finished door and window frames. The facility uses raw materials and offcuts in an integrated way, thus maximising recovery rates and optimising production. Infrastructure and equipment are considerable, efficient and modern, compared to many of the small sawmill installations. Full-time operators and private individuals also saw timber on location in forest sites using chainsaws or portable sawing equipment, according to need. This is a relatively widespread harvesting method in agroforestry fields and it has increased following the 1999 logging ban. These operators are able to process trees standing in places inaccessible by large sawmilling equipment, while fulfilling specific timber consumer requirements for small quantities, especially for rural consumption which otherwise would not be fulfilled by industrial sawmilling. Chainsaw timber sawing has lower recovery rates. However, if used together with a bladeguiding frame, the technique can yield acceptable results, with a recovery rate of up to 50 per cent. The adoption of framed chain sawing for farmgrown timber increases timber recovery and surface quality and also offers local employment opportunities. The medium-to-small size sawmills offer more opportunities for improvement. A growing number of the SME sawmills are now investing in narrow bandsaws (Wood Mizers). This equipment has the advantage of being relatively cheap compared to typical bandsaws, has small thickness blades and thus allows greater recovery rates. These sawmills are highly flexible and can cut large and small diameter logs. These upcoming improvements are

expected to boost productivity, efficiency and level of sustainable employment creation in the sector. It is expected that with continued backup by research and development initiatives, the sawmilling industry has a great future and can be expected to become one of the leading supporters for the economy.

References • Holding C., P. Njuguna and C. Gatundu. 2001. Farm sourced timber: the restructuring of the timber industry in Kenya. Opportunities and challenges. Forest Extension, IUFRO, Vienna, Austria. • Holding-Anyonge C, Roshetko JM (2003). Farm-level timber production: Orienting farmers towards the market. Unaslyva 212 9540:48-56.

• Muhumuza, F., S. Kutegeka and A. Wolimbwa. 2007. Wealth Distribution, Poverty and Timber Governance in Uganda: A Case Study of Budongo Forest Reserve. ACODE Policy Research Series, No. 26, 2007, Kampala. • Muthike GM, Shitanda D, Kanali CL and Muisu FN, 2010. Chainsaw milling in Kenya. In; wit, marieke and Jinke van Dam (eds.), (2010). Chainsaw milling: supplier to local markets. European Tropical Forestry Research Network; Tropenbos international, wageningen, the Netherlands. xxii + 226 pp. • Muthike GM, Kanali CL and Shitanda D, 2011. Comparative Analysis of the Performance of On-farm Timber Sawing Systems. Technology Convergence; the Challenges, Risks and Opportunities. Proceedings of the First Information Communication Technology (ICT) Conference. Multimedia University College of Kenya, Nairobi. • Samuel JH, Pasiecznik NM, Fehr C. 2007. The Potential of Chainsaw Milling Outside Forests. Summary report with economic and policy case studies from East Africa. HDRA, Coventry, UK. 66pp. http://chainsaw.gwork.org/. (in press). • Pasiecznik NM, 2000. Managing on-farm trees for timber production in arid zones. In: Development and Conservation: International Conference on Managing Natural Resources for Sustainable Agricultural Production in the 21st Century. Volume 1: 109-111. Indian Society of Soil Science, New Delhi, India.

The writer is Senior Research Scientist, Timber Processing and Engineering, Forest Products Research Programme, Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) Email: muthikegm@gmail.com

Miti October - December 2015

LEAD THEME

Looking for alternative markets With the shift to non-wood poles, eucalyptus growers need to look elsewhere for business BY JOSHUA CHEBOIWO

he genus Eucalyptus comprises more than 700 species and unknown number of hybrids and varieties, which are planted in different ecological conditions. It is a native of the Australasian subcontinent, mostly Australia. Eucalyptus species were introduced to Kenya as early as 1902 to supply firewood for the Kenya - Uganda Railways. Since then, due its fast growth, wide ecological distribution, good stem form, coppicing ability, durable wood, multipurpose use and ready markets for its various products, eucalyptus is now the single most widely grown species in the country. The commonly cultivated eucalyptus species in high attitudes include Eucalyptus regnans, E. globulus, E. grandis and E. saligna whereas mid-high altitude species are E. urophylla and E. robusta and lately, hybrids. In the lowland drylands, the preferred species include E. camaldulensis and E. tereticonis. The major eucalyptus growing counties in the country include Kakamega, Vihiga, Kisii, Kericho, Nyeri, Kiambu and Nakuru, among others. Eucalyptus is used for transmission poles, industrial firewood, pulpwood, sawn wood, and pole wood for construction and fencing. The total contribution of forest products and services to Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gross domestic product (GDP) is indicated as Ksh 16.4 billion, equivalent to 1 per cent of national GDP, and eucalyptus makes a large part of that. The growth performance of E. grandis, the main species grown in Kenya, ranges from 45 to 68m3 per hectare per year. Higher growth rates have been achieved recently with enhanced selection and management practices. In the medium and lowland zones, the growth is relatively lower, ranging from 23 to 35-45m3

per hectare per year. The recent increase in commercial growing of E. grandis by small and large scale farmers as well as companies has been largely driven by high demand in the transmission pole sector. Another factor is the increased demand for industrial firewood by tea processing companies that have been switching from expensive furnace oil to firewood to cut costs and increase profits. The other key product in demand is poles for construction, scaffolding and fencing. These developments have motivated hundreds of farmers to invest in thousands of hectares in new plantations, planting mostly Eucalyptus grandis.

Profitability of transmission poles The transmission pole sector is one of the most profitable forestry based enterprises in the country due to high demand, short rotations and good prices. The farm gate prices of standing poles rose from Ksh 750 in 1999 to Ksh 2,500 per piece by 2009, an increase of 233 per cent (Cheboiwo, 2010). Prices peaked in 2014, with

standing trees fetching between Ksh 3,000 and 4,500 and higher for larger seven to ten-year-old trees.

Expansion in processing capacity The utility pole sector processing capacity has witnessed tremendous growth and is still expanding. The fact that supply tenders for Kenya Power Limited (KPL), the main consumer of utility poles, are still open to regional supplies from the East African Community (EAC) countries and beyond, allows the sector access to sufficient utility poles competitively to meet the demand. This competitive environment is pushing producers to deploy strategies to cut costs, including use of the latest technologies and measures to minimise operational costs. In 2004 there were only two treatment plants in the country capable of processing 160,000 wooden poles per year. That increased to 28 plants in 2013 with an installed capacity of over 1.5 million pieces per year (Cheboiwo, 2014, Guda, 2014) and by 2015 it is estimated at 55

Miti October - December 2015

with capacity to treat over 2.5 million poles per year. However, the aggregate demand for KPL and the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) was estimated at 700,000 poles per year. Therefore, despite that massive expansion of processing capacity, local treatment plants are faced with a myriad of problems including the unpredictability of the tendering processes of KPL and REA. This means that treatment plants are unable to predict actual quantities needed, to enable them synchronise acquisition of semi-processed poles and import of treatment chemicals from overseas suppliers. This has restricted processing to mostly below 40 per cent of the installed capacities and excess unsold stock in the yards. The combined effect has been reduced purchases from treegrowers and potential fall of pole prices due to supply and demand dynamics. The Kenya Wood Preservers Association (KWPA), an umbrella body for manufacturers of wooden transmission poles in the country, is predicting the ruin of the 55 plus treatment plants in the country. The sector is reported to have large volumes of unsold stock in their yards that are likely to be wasted away and idle machinery purchased at billions of shillings. Some factories are reported to have sent home hundreds of employees due to depressed demand for wooden poles in the country. However, Kenya Power says that wooden poles will still play a big role in its distribution network.

Expansion of electricity distribution The utility pole sector in Kenya currently generates business in excess of Ksh 8 billion (US$ 95 million) per year. KPL predicts that the demand for utility poles for power distribution is

Miti October - December 2015

growing at an average of 10 per cent annually. It allocates local suppliers 80 per cent of its annual demand, standing at 550,000 pieces, and 20 per cent to external firms mostly from Tanzania and Uganda. REA, with an approximate annual demand of 150,000 poles, allocates 100 per cent to local suppliers. By the end of 2014, the combined national demand stood at 700,000. KPLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demand projections show that the demand for utility poles is expected to increase from the current 550,000 to 800,000 by 2018. The share of imports is also expected to increase from the current 150,000 to 200,000 in the same period (Cheboiwo, 2014). KPL says all new transmission lines will use concrete poles and that it will limit wooden poles to domestic connections. Despite KPLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pronouncements, its strategic plan indicates that it will spend Ksh 15 billion to purchase utility poles in the next five years to expand its power distribution network and replace ageing wooden poles.

Threats to wooden pole sector Quality of treated wooden poles KPL has set very stringent quality standards as outlined in KBS KS516:2008 for treated wooden poles. The utility poles should be from recommended species that include Eucalyptus grandis, E. saligna, E. maculata, E. citriodora, E. microcorys, E. globulus and E. regnans. The selection and manufacturing should comply with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS) 516 specifications. The utility poles should be sun or kiln dried before being treated with CCA-C to meet the Kenyan Wood Protection Association Standards (AWPA) C-4 and UC- 4A, 4B and 4C, Latest Edition. The fixation process should ensure that

the preservative treatment is fixed in the wood at its maximum level. Quality control in each stage in the production process is important to ensure that the utility poles are in full compliance with both industry standards and additional specifications. However, recent reports indicate that the quality of wooden poles supplied to KPL by various manufacturers may not have met the expected standards of between 12-20kgs/m3 of CCA salts, and suspicions are that the majority are below 6kgs/m3. Several reasons have been advanced by technical experts that range from substandard treatment cylinders and control systems, use of lower chemical concentrations, higher proportion of sapwood (more than 80 per cent) due to fast growth, lower drying period and corruption whereby poor quality materials are accepted. Price of wooden poles Wooden utility poles are facing nascent competition from concrete poles and potential of the re-emergence of steel or fibreglass poles. Lower quality and high prices for wooden poles are likely to push major users to shop for alternatives. The current fast growth of treatment plants and their processing capacities in the country and growing imports has made the sector very competitive, hence potentially able to keep prices low. However, KPL recently accused the wooden pole suppliers of manipulating prices to ensure that they remain high despite expanded supplies from farms and the existing competitive environment, hence its decision to diversify to concrete and fibreglass poles that last longer, thus cutting replacement and maintenance costs.

Concrete poles Concrete poles were introduced in the 1960s in Nairobi and Mombasa but discontinued in the 1970s due to cost considerations. However, concrete poles were reintroduced into the country in 2010 when a manufacturing plant with a capacity of 30,000 poles per year but an output of 12,000 was commissioned in Nairobi. The number of firms that manufacture concrete poles has shot up from two in 2013 to seven by 2015, with an estimated production capacity of 150,000 poles per year. The first firms to produce concrete poles were Bett Company and Jungle Energy. These were then joined by Royal Transmission in Nakuru and Buzeki in Eldoret, among others. Concrete poles have a longer lifespan than wooden poles but are heavy and thus require specialised handling equipment. Again, nonrenewable materials are used in their manufacture. KPL reports that a 10-metre wooden pole retails at Ksh 12,000 compared to Ksh 18,000 for a concrete pole of the same size. Therefore, switching to concrete poles makes economic sense as they cost 33 per cent more, but have a lifespan twice that of treated wooden poles. By 2013, concrete poles accounted for only 3 per cent of the total demand by KPL, which is still far less than the 30 per cent currently allocated to imports. But the durability of concrete poles can eat into wooden pole replacements into the future. Fibreglass poles In April 2014, KPL revealed it would start using fibreglass poles to reduce electricity transmission costs, accelerate connections to households and reduce the cost on timber poles. The company indicates that fibreglass poles, made from silica sand, limestone, soda ash and plastic, are stronger, lighter, more durable and sturdy enough to withstand rugged terrain compared to concrete and traditional wooden poles. The fibreglass poles are impervious to rot and pests and require no maintenance. They can last up to 80 years, which is one-third longer than concrete poles and more than three times the wooden polesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; average of 25 years. Fibreglass poles are reported to be ideal for salty, swampy and hilly places and do not require heavy machinery to erect. The poles underwent tests with a sample from Duratel, a Chicago-based maker of utility poles and power transmission structures. However, the plant to manufacture fibreglass poles is yet to be commissioned in Kenya. Imports KPC indicates it will still reserve 20 per cent of

its pole requirements to imports mostly from Tanzania and Uganda as part of the promotion of regional trade. However, data available shows that between 2009 and 2014, the actual imports averaged 70,000, except for 2012 when they peaked at 187,000 poles (Cheboiwo, 2014).

Some remedial measures Training on woodlot management Recent studies by Cheboiwo (2013) indicate a massive entry of poorly trained farmers into eucalyptus growing for transmission poles. These farmers have not received adequate advisory services on site selection, quality seedlings, spacing, planting and management practices. Some farmers have been planting commercial woodlots at low spacing, sometimes 1 x 1m, and in poor quality sites such as swamps, drylands, murram soils and steep slopes with rock outcrops. Such practices have led to poor growth and mass deaths. Proper siting, good quality germplasm, correct spacing and management operations will ensure that a large number of planted trees meet the specified requirements instead of the current situation where only a paltry 30 per cent are eligible. Improvement of pole seasoning The Kenya Wood Preservers Association maintains that their members deliver poles that meet the standard specifications. On the other hand, users like KPL complain of poor quality poles that fail in less than 10 years.

Technical experts hold that E. grandis grown under favourable highland conditions in Kenya exhibits one of the highest growth rates in the world, attaining sufficient sizes at age 7 - 8 years as compared to 13 - 15 years elsewhere in the world. The sapwood at such ages ranges between 89 - 90 per cent as compared to 60 - 70 per cent on which the current standard treatment penetration is based. Therefore, the 12-20kg/m3 CCA standard treatment may not be adequate and a higher concentration may be needed. Another factor is that the seasoning period of three to four months may not be sufficient to remove free and cell water to facilitate sufficient chemical penetration into the sapwood. Some experts recommend seasoning for six to eight months. The industry may also need to relook at other factors such as treatment equipment and systems currently installed, skills of the personnel deployed, quality of chemicals in use and quality control procedures.

Alternative markets Following falling demand for semi-processed transmission poles, eucalyptus growers can diversify to other market niches. These include industrial firewood for food processing and textile industries, charcoal, sawn wood, saw logs and construction pole wood. Export potential Kenya has imported poles since the 1990s, mostly from South Africa, Brazil, Zimbabwe,

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Finland, Chile, Australia and recently, Tanzania and Uganda. Therefore the Mombasa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kampala northern corridor transit route that has been used to import utility poles into Kenya can serve as an export route as well. Existing import and export infrastructure includes a favourable taxation regime, timber importers and regulatory and enforcement agencies that currently support trans-boundary timber trade with DRC and Tanzania. Recent studies by the East Africa Policy Centre show that moving a 20-tonne container through Mombasa port to Nairobi costs US$ 1,300, to Kampala US$ 3,400 and to Kigali US$ 6,500. It was reported that port charges and delays account for up to 40 per cent of the costs. In contrast, the same container costs US$ 1,200 to move from Japan to Mombasa port. Therefore the major handicap to trade in the East and Central Africa region has been transport costs. The port of Mombasa has the capacity and equipment to handle pole exports anywhere in the world. According to some import/export merchants, Rwanda and Uganda are the only viable markets for utility poles currently, due to transport costs and ease in business transactions. However, since Kenya is exporting goods to Ethiopia through the Moyale border points, the same infrastructure and trucks can be used to transport utility poles. The Mombasa - Kampala northern corridor transit route can also be used to export utility poles to Sudan and DRC. The export market may need higher standard specification in terms of chemical penetration and longevity in use for they will be competing with the best in the world.

Industrial firewood A number of industries across the country use firewood in processing. Currently, the sector is dominated by small players with minimal capital and equipment. The contracted suppliers are a mixture of farmers and merchants. The key buyers in the sector include 65 Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) affiliated factories, textile and food processing firms such as Pwani Oil Refineries (Mombasa), Menengai (Nakuru), Rivatex and Raymonds Textiles (Eldoret), Lessos Dairies (Eldoret), Homalime Ltd (Muhoroni), among others. The KTDA affiliated factories currently experience fuel wood shortages especially in Central Kenya, and in Kericho and Kisii counties. The aggregate demand for industrial firewood is in excess of Ksh 2.4 billion with the tea sector accounting for 66 per cent of demand. Studies indicate that the main cost in firewood trade is transport. Therefore, the firewood trade is more attractive to farmers and merchants with their own transport. Construction poles Another alternative market is the construction sector with a demand for different products such as long poles for temporary structures, scaffolding and fencing posts. This market is relatively small but likely to grow with urbanisation. The construction poles are grouped mainly into three categories depending on girth and length, such as small woods (fito), mediums (parallels) and king posts. The age of construction poles ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 years. Most merchants that stock construction poles also have fencing posts and domestic firewood.

Charcoal Charcoal has remained an important source of energy for cooking in most urban and rural households in the country. Charcoal is the second most important traded wood product in terms of volume and value after sawn wood. The estimated per capita consumption of 0.3915 translates into approximately 16.3 million cubic metres of wood per year. Except for some sustainable production from black wattle, most of the charcoal in Kenya is sourced from unsustainable harvesting in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) and farm clearing in high potential areas. According to Cheboiwo and Mugo (2012) charcoal production and marketing is a big business in the rural and urban areas with an estimated 67 million bags, equivalent to 2.4 million metric tonnes, being traded annually. At the current price of Ksh 800 per bag this translates to Ksh 53 billion and the predicted fall in supply will mean a large section of the demand will be unmet. Therefore the entry of eucalyptus into the charcoal sector is a viable business model. However, there may be some technical challenges on wood density and carbonisation process to produce good quality charcoal.

Financial stability Most of the treatment plants are subsidiaries of larger businesses with stable financial bases. Fewer than five plants are stand-alone businesses. Thus, in our opinion, most of the treatment plants operating in Kenya have a well-founded financial base, and are unlikely to collapse due to financial stress unless under prolonged accumulation of unsold stock. However, a drastic fall in demand for poles would definitely make investors relocate elsewhere. The scenario has become increasingly likely in the short and medium term due to the continued entry of new players, competition from other products and imports. Conclusion The growth of the pole wood sector has been very fast, and has come with some challenges. Quality requirements call for urgent attention, to safeguard the interests of hundreds of investors that include power distribution firms, wooden pole manufacturers and hundreds of investors in eucalyptus growing. (For references for this article, please contact the publishers). The writer is Chief Research Officer, Socioeconomic, Policy and Governance, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). Email: jkchemangare@yahoo.com

Miti October - December 2015

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Eucalyptus clones vs. grandis Do clones meet requirements for power and telephone poles, scaffolding and fencing? BY CHARLES ODEKE

ree farmers in Uganda have been anxious about the strength qualities of eucalyptus clones. The Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) has been promoting the planting of eucalyptus clones in Uganda to help bridge the looming timber crisis in the country. Timber from long rotation tree species such as pines is likely to come into the market after the existing old stock is exhausted. In addition, since eucalypt clones grow quickly, they can relieve tree farmers of the financial burdens associated with long payback investments in forestry. However, farmers have been anxious over the suitability of eucalypt clones. There has been talk that clones are weaker than Eucalyptus grandis, with which farmers are familiar. In an effort to allay these fears, SPGS recently commissioned a study with the New Forest Company (NFC) to determine the strength properties of eucalyptus clones for use as power distribution poles. NFC runs a commercial pole treatment plant in Mityana town. NFC conducted a basic field experiment to study the behaviour of clones. There are known quality tests that can be performed on poles intended for industrial use. The NFC experts

applied five different quality tests on 14 sevenyear-old poles (GUs and GCs)1, seven years being the maturity time for power distribution poles. The poles were all 10 metres long. Their performance compared with that of the normal Eucalyptus grandis poles in terms of drying defects; chemical penetration and retention; seasoning time; strength and dimensional instability.

Drying defects As poles dry, they usually react by creating some deformations or defects. The commonest defect is splitting. During this experiment, all poles showed signs of splitting but the extent on each pole varied. There was no significant difference visible between clones and pure Eucalyptus grandis poles regarding all drying defects. It was however observed that in comparison to Eucalyptus grandis: • Clones did not split way-through from the butt to the top end of the pole. • Clones had smaller splits but they were deep. • Clones had numerous checks throughout the whole pole. 1 GU - hybrids between E. grandis and E. urophylla: GC hybrids between E. grandis and E. camaldulensis.

• There was no deformation lengthwise (crooks and sweeps after drying).

Reclassification Due to end splits, two poles out of the 14 were reclassified from their original size to 9 metres. The two could not be accepted in their original sizes due to the end splits. This is a normal practice in the pole treatment plants.

Penetration and retention To undertake this experiment, the poles underwent a pressure treatment process using a Copper Chrome Arsenate (CCA) preservative whose chemical solution concentration was 6 per cent weight per unit volume (w/v). Results showed that all the poles had good penetration averaging between 23 to 30mm against the general minimum requirements in the region, which is 20mm. The poles were also reported to have good preservative retention. After treatment, the chemical retention (of CCA) of the clones was 19.44kg/m3 which is slightly lower than the minimum required (20kg/m3). However, when a repeat test was done after 24 hours, the retention came to 20.25kg/m3. According to the experts, the repeat test was conducted after 24 hours to

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allow some degree of fixation of the chemical into the wood and is regarded as more accurate, compared to the first round reading. The samples from other poles in the same batch produced 21.23kg/m3 immediately without a repeat, which is above average (20 kg/m3). This study confirmed that clones, just like Eucalyptus grandis, can achieve the minimum required chemical penetration and retention. In addition, the experts noted that after treatment, the splits and checks of some poles appeared to have closed. However, they required longer observations to ascertain if there would be any post-treatment defects.

Seasoning time and moisture content Poles were seasoned to drive out some moisture before treating with preservative. It took four months and three weeks for clone poles to achieve an average requirement of 25 per cent moisture content (MC). This is actually the average period for other eucalyptus species to reach the same MC level.

Strength test For a strength test, poles are tested against a force corresponding to a minimum fibre stress (for bending). All the poles passed the strength

STRENGTH RESULTS FOR CLONE POLES

Pole No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Clone type Length (m) Diameter (mm) Target kN Actual kN PASS/FAIL GC 9 170 18.49 21.141 Pass GC 10 195 22.99 26.37 Pass GC 12 172 15.28 15.72 Pass GC 9 168 18.49 18.88 Pass GC 9 160 15.63 17.57 Pass GC 10 181 22.99 23.77 Pass GC 10 170 17.18 21.98 Pass GC 9 160 15.68 16.69 Pass GU 10 189 22.99 26.28 Pass GU 9 162 18.49 19.18 Pass GU 10 168 17.18 18.18 Pass GU 10 165 17.18 18.05 Pass GU 9 160 15.63 18.05 Pass GU 9 170 18.49 18.6 Pass

kN = kiloNewton

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test and met the specification requirements. The South Africa National Standards - SANS 754:2010 - was used as a standard reference to carry out the tests. Results are shown in the table below.

Dimensional instability These are changes relating to diameter of poles while on treatment. The study showed some increases and decreases in diameter of poles after treatment. The decrease was due to shrinkage expected in poles. The increase was due to splits and checks that somehow enlarged the poles, and this is normal. All these diameter variations occurred within acceptable limits. In conclusion, there were no clearly significant differences to note between the clones and the pure Eucalyptus grandis poles. So to all our gallant tree-growers and users in Uganda and elsewhere who might have been speculating on this matter, have faith. Eucalyptus clones meet pole requirements for power and telephone distribution as well as scaffolding and fencing, among other uses, provided proper treatment procedures and standards have been followed. (For more details on this article, please refer to the study report found at www.sawlog.ug) The writer is the Plantation Development Manager, Sawlog Production Grant Scheme Email: charleso@sawlog.ug

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Fuel from wood waste King’s Biofuel has invested in briquette-making using sawdust, coffee and rice husks BY WANJIRU CIIRA

ings Biofuel Limited, as the name indicates, has gone to nature in search of a solution to energy needs. The company converts sawdust, coffee and rice husks into high calorific value energy briquettes, mostly for commercial use. And it all came about almost by chance. It was a revelation, according to Festus Ngugi, the company’s founder. It happened one day in August 2013, when Mr Ngugi, a career civil servant turned farmer, was offloading some sawdust to mix with charcoal dust, sand and manure for planting vegetables. “It just came to me like a revelation, I asked myself, ‘Can we make charcoal using sawdust?’”, he says. Mr Ngugi thus went into the Internet to research on how to make what he referred to as “charcoal” from sawdust. “By November 2013, I had decided I wanted to invest in briquettemaking,” says Mr Ngugi. Once his mind was made up, Mr Ngugi then researched on the

machines and facilities he would need and immediately started constructing the structures required for the project. This would take him two years. Meanwhile, in January 2014, armed with a loan facility from a friendly bank, Mr Ngugi travelled to India to source a briquette-making machine. This was installed in March 2014 by Indian engineers and Kings Biofuel went into production in June 2014. Kings Biofuel mixes sawdust, coffee husks and rice husks in a 7:2:1 ratio. The company, located within Kenol Township, some 60km from Nairobi along the Nairobi-Nyeri highway, sources sawdust from sawmills within a 100km radius of their location. Kings Biofuel uses binder-less briquetting technology that does not require anything to hold the raw materials together to make the briquettes. The briquetting machine has a production capacity of 10 tonnes a day. Currently, however, Kings Biofuel produces 80 tonnes a month

based on the demand of their products. Whereas as a farmer Mr Ngugi welcomes the rainy season, as a briquette-maker he perceives rain with some unease. “We need to dry the sawdust to a moisture level below 5 per cent,” he explains. Since the company does not own a drier, employees normally just spread the sawdust out in the sun to dry. This can of course not be done during the rainy season. Installing a drier is the next major development for Kings Biofuel. This will be no small undertaking as the drier Mr Ngugi has in mind costs Ksh 12 million. “The drier’s capacity is 4 to 5 tonnes an hour,” he says. This would be a major boost to the business because currently, Mr Ngugi cannot market the company’s briquettes aggressively to industrial consumers since he does not have the capacity to meet the potential demand. “If today a company placed an order for 50 tonnes a week, we could not meet it,” says Mr Ngugi.

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Potential demand for fuel briquettes is huge, he says. In his business plan to the bank, he had to look at possible customers. Most of these were businesses that use boilers heated by firewood. He cites tea factories, the leather, textiles, food, milk processing and cement industries as some possible consumers. This is in addition to educational institutions.

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Increasingly, more companies are making briquettes thus increasing the competition for saw dust. Alternative raw materials include macadamia waste but this requires a crusher which costs money. “You cannot put too much capital investment in a start-up,” says Mr Ngugi. Kings Biofuel currently sits on a 0.27-hectare piece of land and employs three permanent staff

members and 20 casuals during peak production times. Mr Ngugi has big plans for the company. “We would probably occupy more land, and install better machines, preferably automatic,” he says. The writer is the Managing Editor, Miti magazine Email: wanjiru@mitiafrica.com

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Going into uncharted territory Kenya Bamboo Centre is a pioneer in a largely untapped industry BY WANJIRU CIIRA

he Kenya Bamboo Centre was born of a merging of ideas between a Kenyan, an American, a Ghanaian and an Italian. In 2011, the Kenyan, Polycarp Akoko Mboya, had just been laid off from his job after 13 years. It just happened that Mr Mboya’s American friend, one Lewis Taylor, had a Ghanaian friend who was passionate about bamboo. The Ghanaian was convinced bamboo was an important and beneficial plant that had not been accorded the attention it deserves. Mr Mboya was aware that bamboo was available in Nyanza because at that time, farmers in Migori, Homa Bay and Kuria – all in the then Nyanza Province - were being encouraged to plant bamboo as an alternative to tobacco. Being the good friend that he is, Mr Taylor entrusted his vehicle and some money to Mr Mboya to drive all the way to Homa Bay to get bamboo cuttings. On coming back to Nairobi, Mr Mboya established a bamboo seedlings nursery along Kiambu Road. “The plants did well but there

was no market,” he says. “Few people at the time wanted to plant bamboo.” But Mr Mboya did not give up. Mr Taylor once again came to the rescue of the project. He introduced Mr Mboya to Chiara Camozzi, project manager for the Italian non-governmental organisation (NGO), COOPI, which was involved in slum upgrading in Huruma. “Chiara was impressed with our work and bought all the seedlings to plant along river banks in Huruma,” explains Mr Mboya. It was then that the idea of a training venture for people in informal settlements was mooted and the Kenya Bamboo Centre was born. The centre, located near Jamhuri Park, Nairobi, offers training services to individuals, organisations and communities, covering all the aspects of bamboo care, including propagation, nursery management, harvesting and processing. Mr Mboya is the assistant manager of the centre. The centre, which is in the process of converting into a trust, has trained HIV-positive

people in Korogocho and is planning to do the same in the Baba Dogo area of Nairobi. These are informal settlements areas with vulnerable people. “We target areas where people are suffering, and where our training will make a difference and uplift their lives,” says Mr Mboya. Apart from training, the centre also makes bamboo furniture and crafts, which include tables, seats, beds, vases, wine-holders and lamp shades. Their bamboo products are durable and classy, just like those made from timber. Kenya Bamboo Centre sells armchairs at Ksh 4,500 each. Prices of other furniture items range from Ksh 8,000 to Ksh 48,000 for a king size bed. All products are made on order. For furniture, Kenya Bamboo Centre mainly uses the giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus), which it sources from farmers in Nyanza. “These farmers had been demoralised for lack of a market for their bamboo,” says Mr Mboya. “This is now changing and the farmers

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are expanding their bamboo farms.” For other uses, the centre utilises Yushania alpine, the indigenous species. Kenya Bamboo Centre buys dry bamboo poles with a moisture content of less than 10 per cent. Poles with a high moisture content result in poor quality products with a short shelflife. Apart from furniture and ornaments, bamboo is used in construction of roofs, walls and floors; it provides fabrics; the shoots are eaten; it is a landscaping plant, adding beauty to any garden; it can be planted as a hedge and hollow bamboo makes excellent music instruments. It is in demand in horticultural flower and vegetable farming, handicraft, residential fencing and in the manufacture of other minor cottage industry products like toothpicks, baskets and matchsticks. Bamboo plays a vital role in the protection of the soil and water resources in forested catchment areas. Its complex root system acts as a water filter, removing nutrients and heavy metals from water, thus purifying it. Most of the bamboo resources in Kenya comprise one indigenous species, Yushania alpina, which was formerly known as Arundinaria alpina. This species, which is commonly known as “alpine bamboo”, occurs naturally on the main mountains and highland ranges of Kenya and eastern Africa. According to sources at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), the species is estimated to cover between 145,000 and 150,000 hectares, mainly at altitudes ranging

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from 2400m to about 3400m above sea level. With the exception of a few clumps of the species left on farms by farmers living around forest areas in the highlands, where the species grows naturally, little cultivation of this species has been done in Kenya. In addition, bamboo raw materials are not easily available due to the ban on bamboo extraction from public forests. Even if the ban were to be lifted, the cover of bamboo resource is currently low due to excisions of indigenous forests where bamboo was dominant. This calls for production of raw materials from farms not only to ensure expanded supply,

but also to get the materials nearer to the markets where handicraft industries are developing. The grass is flexible and resilient, thrives in poor soils, requires no inputs and is less prone to disease or pest attacks, compared to trees. Bamboo is thus an unexploited industry with vast possibilities. Farmers need to grow more of it, but they can only do so when assured of a market. Kenya Bamboo Centre provides a market – although a small one at the moment. The writer is the Managing Editor, Miti magazine Email: wanjiru@mitiafrica.com

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From the lab to the field Makerere University Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre translates research results into products and services BY DIANA AHEBWE

he Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre (FTBIC) at the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bioengineering at Makerere University was set up in 2009. Its major objective is to translate food science-based research results into useful products and services. Its mission is to nurture and sustain new and existing food and allied business by providing innovative research, practical solutions, linkages, entrepreneurship development and outreach, leading to wealth creation and nutritional enhancement. The centre was also intended to inculcate entrepreneur skills among graduates of the School of Food Technology. The centre’s manager is Prof William Kyamuhangire, a specialist in food science and technology and an Associate Professor at the School of Food Technology and Bio-Systems Engineering. The FTBIC has installed a variety of multipurpose processing lines that handle dairy, fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, cereals, a baking line and a mobile fruit and vegetable processing plant. With these lines, the centre is able to support applied research aimed at improving products and product processing technologies. The Incubation Centre supports graduate students to start up their own enterprises and exposes interested individuals to processing skills and technologies for selfemployment. The FTBIC also supports existing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with product development services, state-of-the-art laboratory testing services and contract processing. To deliver on its mandate, the centre has four full-time and three part-time staff. Prof Kyamuhangire observes that while the FTBIC supports research ideas that lead to commercial products, no specific budget is aligned to a particular research area. Priority for research funding is therefore based on the ideas fronted by the individual scientists. Among the ideas that have received support is the processing of traditional products and technologies of forest origin. A popular product developed from this is the wild root liqueur Omulondo. The process for the extraction of

the mulondo (Mondia whitei) was developed in FTBIC laboratories and is patented, according to Prof Kyamuhangire. Consequently, House of Russa Ltd was set up to commercialise the Omulondo liqueur and the product is in the market. The company has graduated to setting up its own factory outside the incubation centre although the raw materials are still obtained from the wild. However, seedlings of mulondo are being generated for cultivation as a crop. The centre has also carried out prospecting and pilot processing of indigenous mangoes that grow wild in many parts of Uganda. These are under threat of being cut down and burned into charcoal. The indigenous mango is small and contains sisal-like fibres in its pulp, making eating it fresh a nuisance. Until now, according to Prof Kyamuhangire, it has not been considered to be of any economic value. However, with processing, it has been possible to separate the pulp from the fibres, leading to a pulp yield as high as 50 per cent that can be used for making mango juice. Following the centre’s intervention, a private company, FONUS Ltd, is investing in a factory with a processing capacity of 100 tonnes of mangoes per day.

Partnerships with the private sector The establishment of the centre has created avenues for viable collaboration between the private sector and the University. This enables knowledge and products generated at the University to be taken up by the private sector and the skills of the private sector are tapped to nurture young entrepreneurs through mentoring. The initiatives taken by the centre lead to wealth and employment creation and facilitate the growth of the SME sector. “Any individual with a business idea is free to present it to the Centre for possible support,” says Prof Kyamuhangire.

Challenges Lack of institutions to support graduates is a big challenge. For example, after graduates have developed their businesses, they find it difficult to access affordable loans and industrial buildings for rent. Lack of support to the young entrepreneurs restricts the growth of their enterprises. So far the centre receives funding from the government of Uganda. The writer is the Country Representative, Miti magazine - Uganda Email: diana@mitiafrica.com

Miti October - December 2015

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A fruit tree with multiple uses The African black olive is food and medicine for the people of the equatorial region of Africa BY FRANCIS OMUJAL

anarium schweinfurthii is an oilcontaining, indigenous fruit tree species found in the equatorial forest region of Africa, specifically in Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Uganda and Congo. In these countries, C. schweinfurthii is known by different local names. It is called abel in Cameroon, aiele in Ivory Coast, elemi, atile or odah in Nigeria, bediwunua or eyere in Ghana, and mpafu or mbafu in Uganda. C. schweinfurthii can grow up to 36m high and has a cylindrical bole of 90ft. The stem bark is grey, strong and thick and exudes gum that solidifies to a whitish resin that smells like turpentine. The flowers are creamy white and produce dark brown or purplish ellipsoidal or ovoid (egg-shaped) drupe fruits. The mature and ripe fruit of C. schweinfurthii looks like an olive and ranges in size from 2 to 4cm long and 1.5 to 2.0cm wide, depending on the origin. Because of its similarity to olive fruits, C. schweinfurthii is referred as the African olive. The pulp of the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked (parboiled) after softening in warm water for 40 minutes. People have supplemented their diet with these fruits for many years. The fruit pulp is high in calories, contains protein, oil or fat, starch, cellulose and reducing sugars. The oil content in the pulp is higher than that found in olive and in avocado fruit pulp. The pulp has unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic fatty acids that are essential in the diet, making it good for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and lubricant applications. As food, the oil from C. schweinfurthii pulp can be consumed raw on toast, salads and other foodstuffs. The fruit is rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium. The seed of C. schweinfurthii also contains oil, but the seed is usually thrown away because it is hard. However, in times of food shortage, children break open the hard seed and eat the kernel inside. C. schweinfurthii has many uses in traditional African medicine. The stem bark decoction

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is used for treating colic, coughs, chest pain, venereal diseases, abscesses, dysentery, lung and stomach diseases, malaria and syphilis; while the resin from the bark is used for the treatment of wounds and microbial infections and for rectal injections. The rhizhomes (rootstock) and leaves have diuretic properties and are used as a stimulant and for fighting fever, constipation, malaria, diarrhoea, sexual infections, post-partum pain, rheumatism, typhoid, chronic wounds and tuberculosis symptoms. An aromatic gum

produced by the stem bark can burn as a scent to repel mosquitoes and to treat stomach pain and angina pectoris. The writer is a PhD Fellow, School of Forestry, Environment and Geographical Sciences, Makerere University and also a Research Officer, Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute, Ministry of Health, Uganda Email: omufran@yahoo.com, francis.omujal@health.go.ug

BIO ENERGY

Growing trees for fuel

Establishing plantations purely for charcoal could be profitable, study reveals BY CHARLES ODEKE

he six cattle corridor districts of Uganda are experiencing a transformation. Tree plantations dedicated to fuel wood may soon be established to demonstrate that charcoal production systems can be profitable. The project, which is targeting the private sector, is being implemented by the Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) as part of a Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) bioenergy scheme under the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) support. The cattle corridor is characterised by harsh, dry weather conditions. Charcoal burning using rudimentary earth kilns is rampant and is depleting forest cover rapidly, which in turn exposes the community to climate change impacts. To save the natural forest cover and make charcoal production efficient, SPGS recently commissioned three studies to guide investments into fuel wood dedicated tree plantations and efficient charcoal production systems. Details are available on www.sawlog. ug. STUDY ONE - Assessing the local fuel wood demand and the feasibility of supplying fuel wood from dedicated bio-energy plantations The study was done by Willy Kakuru, and some of its objectives were: • To develop a geospatial map indicating the location of industries with high fuel wood demand, land availability and socio-economic and environmental aspects; • To develop business models for two different sizes of plantations - small commercial woodlots of less than 50 hectares and medium scale plantations measuring more than 50 but less than 500 hectares; • To assess the various models of support offered to bio energy plantation growers in other countries; and • To recommend an appropriate model to support bio-energy growers in Uganda. Among other results, the study developed business models for establishing bioenergy woodlots and/or plantations in Nakasongola and other cattle corridor districts as shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Recommended tree species for the cattle corridor area NO

Tree species

Spacing (metres)

Stocking/ hectares

Rotation (years)

Yield - tonnes/ha at full rotation

Clonal eucalyptus (GCs)

2.5 x 2.5

1,600

2.5 - 3

Missing

Markhamia lutea

1.2 x 1.2

6,900

45.9

Acacia polyacantha

1.3 x 1.3

6,000

Summary of the business models based on size of land (hectares) over a four-year rotation After stating some economic assumptions indicated in the main report, the study came up with various business models based on various sizes of land over a four- year rotation and compared their profitability. Comparisons were done in terms of total discounted revenues (TDR) against the total discounted costs (TDC) using the net present value (NPV) and benefit-cost (B/C) ratio for different sizes of investments. A sensitivity analysis was also factored in for similar investments based on assumed 30 per cent decline in the yield due to forest risks and uncertainty, as shown in Table 1. The analysis shows that under all business model scenarios, the NPV is quite high and the B/C ratio is more than 1, implying that investing in fuel wood tree-growing is a profitable venture. As expected, the models show that NPV and B/C generally increase with more acreage due to economies of scale in which the additional cost (marginal cost) of production of a cubic metre of wood decreases as the volume of wood produced increases.

STUDY TWO- Assessing the feasibility of commercial charcoal production systems in Uganda This study was done by Integrated Rural Development Initiatives - IRDI. It generated interesting results regarding the feasibility of investing in commercial fuel wood production. It identified tree species that are socially, environmentally and economically suitable for growing along the cattle corridor districts of Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Mubende, among others. The results indicated that for every given geo-climatic characteristic, species selection should be done carefully, taking into consideration ecological concerns, tree growth rates and management practices. These are critical factors in sustainable charcoal production and in any commercial tree growing project. Some of the characteristics of tree species which users reportedly needed in a superior wood fuel include: • Quick growth rates with high yielding volume of wood with minimum management time;

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Table 2: Cost – benefit analyses for recommended tree species in the cattle corridor area Tree species

Cash outflow*

Cash inflow

NPV at 30%

NPV at 40%

Profitability index (PI)

Internal rate of return (IRR)

24,062,500

34,569,500

29,107,313

2.6

30.5%

14,726,250

17,074,870

13,732,011

1.5 7.4

30.6%

A. polycantha

9,128,000

M. lutea

9,668,000

Eucalyptus

7,680,000

56,760,000

90,191,640

82,511,640

30.4%

*Details of cash outflows and inflows per hectare per species can be found in the main report, www.sawlog.ug. • Coppice or sprout well from stumps after harvesting; • Have dense wood with low moisture content; • Produce little and non-toxic smoke; • Produce wood that splits easily; • Produce wood/charcoal that does not spark when burning. In consideration of the above, Table 2 summarises the recommended tree species for charcoal production in the study area together with their appropriate management systems. Below is a brief description of the tree species: Clonal eucalyptus (hybrids between E. grandis and E. camaldulensis) The trees (clones) quickly develop an extensive root system which enables a rapid access to water and nutrients. One year after planting, the root system could have extended to depth beyond 3m. Hybrid clonal eucalyptus plantation establishment and management practices are like those of the non-clone eucalyptus species that people are already familiar with in the area. The exception comes in the size of returns given the same volume of inputs per unit area. Given its high growth vigour compared to the nonclone, spacing for hybrid clonal eucalyptus for wood fuel should be based on the soil type and recommended bole size with regard to the carbonisation technology to be used, the study said. To achieve the optimum size (diameter) for the retort technology, the trees should be spaced at 2.5m x 2.5m, giving a density of 1,600 trees in a hectare. At 2.5 to 3.0 years, this eucalyptus would have attained the optimum size for carbonisation in retorts. This fast growth and accumulation of biomass greatly compensates for the high cost of seedlings and high maintenance required. Markhamia lutea (nsambya, siala) This is a multipurpose broadleaved tree that belongs to the tropical family, Bignoniaceae. It is an upright tree that grows well in all the districts in the study area. It grows naturally in evergreen forests of Uganda, savannah woodlands and at the periphery of natural forests and farmers’ gardens. As found out in the study area, markhamia grows well in areas with a bi-modal rainfall pattern with annual rainfall ranging between 700 – 1700mm. When planted at a spacing of 1.2m x 1.2m, (approximate density of 6,900 trees per hectare), markhamia will have a mean annual increment (MAI) of 15.3 tonnes a year. Every three years, the total cumulative yield will approximately be around 45.9 tonnes of standing biomass. Acacia polyacantha (falcon’s claw acacia) This is a deciduous tree that grows up to a height of 3.5 to 20 metres; the bark is yellow-brown and inclined to be thick or peeling in thick, corky flakes and loose strips. It grows in wooded grasslands, woodlands and bush lands, thriving in sites with high groundwater table and alluvial soils with a good mix of clay and sand. The species grows from sea level to an altitude of 1800 metres and does well with a mean annual rainfall of 300 – 1000mm. Its rotation period starts from four years and its flowering depends on the rains. The seeding period occurs approximately six months after flowering (KEFRI, 2010).

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The study did a cost-benefit analysis for the charcoal production business and generated business models for sustainable charcoal production. Results in Table 3 indicate that it is more profitable to grow hybrid eucalypts (PI = 7.4) compared to other tree species. Eucalyptus grows faster and hence puts on more biomass during the same growth period (see Table 2). STUDY THREE - A review of the existing improved kiln technologies and other alternative efficient charcoal production systems in Uganda The review was done by the Centre for Integrated Research and Community Development Uganda - CIRCODU. The research study was aimed at understanding the various charcoal production systems that are available in Uganda and beyond, which are appropriate for use in commercial charcoal production. The study scanned out the various charcoal production technologies being used and recommended appropriate technologies for commercial charcoal production in Uganda based on key parameters shown in Table 3 below. Table 3: Summary of charcoal production technologies (kilns) existing in the study area Kiln type

Conversion efficiency

Quality of charcoal

Installation cost

Ease of use

Earth mound Casamance Half orange kiln

4 2 1

3 2 1

4 3 2

3 1 2

2 1&2 1&2

Missouri Adam Retort Sam 1 Retort

1 2

2 2

1 1

CK Euro Retort

1 1

Capacity

Key: Very Low (4), Low (3), High (2) and Very High (1) • The Adam Retort has a very high conversion efficiency, good charcoal yield and ease of use; • The half orange brick kiln has very high conversion efficiencies, produces good quality charcoal and its cost is low; • The CK Euro Retort has high efficiency, good charcoal quality and ease of use; • The Sam 1 Retort has high efficiency, good charcoal quality and considerable ease of use; • The Casamance has ease of use, ease of kiln production using locally available materials and relatively high charcoal conversion efficiency and short cycle time. The report advises farmers or investors to use the scoring on Table 4 to make a decision on the most suitable charcoal production technology to invest in. Disclaimer: the views that may be raised from this article do not necessarily represent those of the SPGS or its donors. The writer is a Plantation Development Manager, SPGS Email: charleso@sawlog.ug

COMMERCIAL FORESTRY

Commercial tree growers united The Uganda Tree Growers Association brings together planters for mutual benefit BY DIANA AHEBWE

he Uganda Tree Growers Association (UTGA) brings together tree growers in the country. UTGA was formed out of a need to have a voice for commercial tree growers in Uganda and tackle issues that affect them in order to create a favourable environment in which to operate, as well as access support. UTGA was formed in 2007 by tree-growers Richard Bakojja, Ponsiano Basesa and Brenda Mwebaze. The three were among the first people in Uganda to plant trees on a large scale. The tree-growers faced similar challenges like limited land, lack of technical advice on silvicultural operations, lack of training and lack of financial support. The tree-growers felt these issues could only be solved by growers coming together as an organised group. Membership in UTGA has grown over time to over 300. “However, there are many people out there who still do not know about UTGA,” says Dennis Kavuma, the General Manager. Formation of UTGA clusters As the organisation grew, members realised that different geographic regions faced different sets of challenges. As such, they found it necessary to form clusters to decentralise UTGA’s services and deal with specific challenges of a region. In addition, if growers are clustered, they can enjoy group benefits such as security, labour inputs, equipment and most important, markets. UTGA thus formed seven clusters based on climatic conditions, proximity of the growers to each other as well as clusterspecific needs. The clusters are Mubende, Albertine, South-Western, Northern, West Nile, Victoria and Central. Advice to new planters Mr Kavuma advises those interested in tree

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growing to join UTGA so that they are guided from the first day, all the way through the whole process of tree planting; which will help them to apply best practices, minimise costs and avoid common mistakes. He also advises growers to learn from each other because mistakes made in tree-planting are hard to reverse. Realising value out of thinnings Pines go through three thinnings during a full rotation. The first such thinning is usually waste wood. This contrasts with eucalyptus thinnings that can be used as firewood, as fencing poles and for construction, among other uses. UTGA is looking for ways of making pine thinnings useful. “We want to form cluster-based markets for pine thinnings,” says Mr Kavuma. “We are carrying out trials with Hima Cement, a company that uses the first thinnings of pine as firewood.” Value addition and processing UTGA aims to bring members together to combine their resources and establish points or co-owned semi-automated processing facilities either with local or international partners. The Association would like to launch a number of initiatives in order to attract industry, such as introducing technology and bringing in expertise in value addition from outside. UTGA’s goal is to formalise the timber industry in Uganda and this can only be done when members work together. UTGA is engaging the Uganda Revenue Authority in formalising the industry although this is not easy because most growers do not keep records. The organisation aims to establish record-keeping standards that would include costs incurred by members during plantation establishment and maintenance. This would help growers file income tax returns. Most growers have not started harvesting therefore it is easy to establish structures to be used during the final felling. Challenges faced by UTGA Commercial forestry is a long-term venture and is a young industry in Uganda. “As such, growers do not know what to do and are not sure of the benefits they will get after harvesting,” says Mr Kavuma. The industry does not have sufficient technical knowledge. “We have used every experience as a learning opportunity and that is why we source for external technical advisers,” says Mr Kavuma. In addition, since forestry is a long-term venture, some members run short of funds and cannot completely finance some silvicultural

Miti October - December 2015

operations. This results in poor products. UTGA hopes to have acquired full customised knowledge of commercial forestry by the time growers harvest the first fully matured trees. New and continuing growers will tap into this knowledge and produce even better trees. The future Mr Kavuma sees a bright future for UTGA and its members because they are in a good working relationship with the government. Authorities appreciate the positive economic role that treegrowers play. In addition, there are immense regional and local market opportunities for timber products. Uganda is also endowed with a good climate and good soils for growing trees and can therefore become a major supplier of forestry products in East Africa.

Other future plans that UTGA has include strengthening tree nurseries. The organisation plans to bring together tree nursery operators and tree-growing contractors and incorporate them as members of UTGA. Conclusion UTGA’s mandate is to ensure that members realise value out of their trees. However, a poor regulatory framework and informality in the timber industry impacts negatively on members’ potential income. UTGA has reached out to the government to institute and put in place a regulatory mechanism for the timber industry so that Uganda gets a Timber Act. The writer is the Country Representative, Miti magazine, Uganda Email: diana@mitiafrica.com

TREE-PLANTING

A community success story Ugandan rural development forestry association shows what is achievable BY JAN VANDENABEELE

he Kamusiime Memorial Rural Development Association (KMRDA) is a community-based organisation in Rutoto trading centre, Bunyaruguru County, Rubirizi District in western Uganda. It was registered as a company limited by guarantee in 2001. The associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major activity is treeplanting and demonstrating the impact of trees and forests in reducing poverty through sustainable community forestry. This was complemented by the creation of the Kamusiime Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Sacco) in 2006, officially registered on 28 May 2007. In the 1960s and 70s, the major economic activity of the people of Rutoto was trading in timber harvested from Kasyoha-Kitomi and Kalinzu Central Forest Reserves, the natural forests surrounding the locality. Then in 1998, a resident of the area, Yonasani Mwebaze, realised that this economic activity was under threat. The timber extraction was not done in a sustainable way and was quite destructive. To conserve the rich biodiversity, the government stopped further exploitation. Mr Mwebaze was aware that the timber business could continue to be beneficial if exploitation was done sustainably. He mobilised former pit sawyers and timber dealers, and they welcomed the concept of community forestry activities. The inhabitants of the area volunteered land measuring one to ten acres for tree-planting. The name Kamusiime was adopted to pay tribute to Mr Mwebazeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s late mother, whom he continues to hold in high regard for the education she provided for him after his father died. This is also in recognition that out of the 22 members of KMRDA, 16 are women. All have equal share holding. According to Benoni Mutabaazi, a member, the possibility of making profits in future, the fact that the majority of members are women and thus less inclined to infighting and the personality of the chairman are the cement that hold the association together. Other factors at play are surely good governance, sharing responsibilities and accruement of benefits in an equal and democratic way. The ecological setting also helps to explain

why the initiative is successful. The Rutoto countryside is quite hilly, between 1,400 and 1,600 metres above sea level (masl), with good rainfall, around 1,250 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1,400mm mean annual rainfall (MAR) in a bimodal pattern. The soils are fertile, although some parts are on steep slopes. As such, forest plantations thrive better than annual crops, and are less likely to cause erosion. Originally, the whole area was covered in medium altitude moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forest, of which the Central Forest Reserves are the remainder. Thus, the community has always relied on the rich diversity of forest products on offer. KMRDA was fortunate to start its activities when the government-sponsored Sawlog

Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) was already on the ground, winning a tender to raise and supply seedlings. This provided the seed money for more activities, while SPGS continued to provide technical support and encouragement. The government offered support too, with its watershed management programmes through farm income enhancement and forest conservation. Today, KMRDA employs 10 full-time workers, over 50 casuals during planting and weeding, and six employees for managing the Sacco. With accounts at StanBic Bank in Kasese, some 60km away, the Sacco offers financial services to some 1,400 members. The Sacco offers such products and

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services as business loans, school fees loans, asset loans (motorbikes, land, sofa sets) and special/emergency loans, all tailored to the needs of the local community. According to manager Didas Bashaija, the Kamusiime Sacco boasts an average loan recovery rate of 87 per cent, and a loan portfolio of Ush 216 million (Ksh 7.2 million). This is quite an achievement. However, the Sacco faces challenges like lack of capital, need for more capacity-building and going completely digital, with the proper soft and hardware. KMRDA manages some 600 hectares of

plantations, of which 242 hectares is on private land and some 360 hectares on land leased from the National Forestry Authority (NFA). The plantations are mostly of pines (Pinus caribaea, variety hondurensis) for timber, and some cypress (Cupressus lusitanica), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis) and indigenous species (Ugandan mahogany, Khaya anthotheca). The association has its own nursery, certified by SPGS, and now accredited by the Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA). This implies the use of quality seeds from improved varieties

Revenues (Ush) earned by KMRDA for the years 2010 - 2012 Item 2010

2011

2012

Seedlings Honey sales Furniture sales Contract works Timber sales

482,200,000 2,596,000 4,200,000

89,138,800 2,802,000 2,566,000 21,000,000

19,155,500 4,544,000 2,190,000 14,365,000 48,592,000

Total

488,996,000

115,506,800

88,846,500

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like E. grandis from Fort Portal and PCH from Australia. Such quality seeds are expensive, so the seedlings sell at a higher price than other seedlings. Planting quality seedlings was a condition for qualifying for SPGS grants, and that guaranteed a market. Now that SPGS has stopped giving grants, farmers opt for cheaper seedlings. (So much for short-term thinking). Still, KMRDA’s nursery raises an average of 100,000 seedlings per season, of different species. This is not the only challenge facing KMRDA. Its timber from sustainably grown PCH plantations faces stiff competition from illegally cut planks in the protected Central Forest Reserves, where the only cost of production is the labour and the bribes paid to the guards to close their eyes. According to Mr Mwebaze, tree-growers lack equipment to process small diameter logs and make use of wood “waste” like off-cuts and sawdust. Fortunately, KMRDA has an apiary that gives a good income. There are some 70 “Kenya top bar” beehives, about 60 of which are permanently occupied. In view of the good rainfall in the area, members harvest honey two to three times a year. Total yearly harvest of raw honey can go up to 400kg. This is all sold locally at Ush 9,000 for half a kilogram. Two experienced bee-keepers take care of the apiary. Another source of income is the sale of poles and furniture made from the harvested timber. In short, despite the challenges, KMRDA is a success story, setting an example for community-based forestry initiatives. It deserves all the support it can get. The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY

Catering for a discerning clientele Master Wood Investments has identified a niche market for its high quality products BY DIANA AHEBWE

illiam Byandusya, the founder and Managing Director of Master Wood Investments Ltd is a teacher by profession. He taught until 1982. When he realised he could not survive on teaching, he decided to go into pit-sawing in natural forests where he was joined by his siblings. They did this from 1980 to 1992. Then in 1992, natural forests began to dwindle so the pit-sawyers were encouraged by the forest department to start sawmilling in plantations. They did this from 1994 to 2001 on plantations established by the forest department in Fort Portal, Singo Hills, Kapchorwa and Lendu Forest, among other areas. In 2001, plantations too started dwindling so competition set in. For the few plantations that were still available, bidding started and prices were so high that Mr Byandusya had to pull out of the sawmilling business. In 2002, he conceived the idea to go into timber drying and processing and that is when he set up Master Wood Investments Ltd. He registered it as a limited company in 2003 with his wife Molly Byandusya as the other active director. Master Wood started by employing 16 experienced carpenters. Since then, the company has grown to over 80 employees. It is situated on two acres of land in Luzira Industrial Park, Kampala District. “We make high quality wood products for the middle and high end market,” says Mr Byandusya. To achieve this, the company invested heavily in machinery and a 90m3 kiln dryer. The initial investment was approximately US$ 200,000 (approximately Ush 500,000,000 at the time). Master Wood has concentrated on drying and processing timber into quality furniture depending on the demand.

Activities carried out Master Wood Investments Ltd is involved in various activities but these revolve around buying timber from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), kiln drying it to 12 per cent moisture content and making durable furniture.

Master Wood has concentrated on using hard woods, especially mahogany, due to its popularity. Other species that the company uses are Milicia excelsa (mvule), Chrysophyllum albidum (white star apple or nkalati in Luganda) and Olea capensis (Elgon teak). Master Wood clients include individuals, offices and hotels. “We are ready to supply to anyone who needs high quality, durable products,” says Mr Byandusya.

Products available Master Wood Investments Ltd has specialised in doors, door frames, kitchen cabinets and ward-

robes. “We decided to specialise because we realised we could not be good in everything,” says Mr Byandusya. “You might become a jack of all and a master of none.” In addition, the company decided to cash in on the demand for doors. “There is no building without doors and people are always constructing, therefore there is demand,” adds Mr Byandusya.

Challenges faced Currently, the industry is facing a timber shortage. Specifically, there is a limited supply of hardwoods in Uganda and timber dealers have to import these from the DRC. In addition, the

Miti October - December 2015

Ugandan market is conservative and clients do not want to try other timber species. Fluctuations in timber prices are also a challenge, particularly because the price is pegged to the United States of America dollar. Ugandan timber dealers are hard hit especially when inflation is high. “There is also a problem of labour fluctuations and instability,” says Mr Byandusya. There is a shortage of well-trained, dedicated workers. The few in the market often leave to start their own workshops or in search of higher salaries. Again, there is no standardisation of sizes in the construction industry, especially doors and frames. “For example, you have to take measurements for every client,” says Mr Byandusya. “This becomes a challenge especially when you have many orders.” He would prefer a situation whereby the company could make standard doors that clients would just come and buy.

Above all, there is no proper supervision in the industry and it is full of irregularities and informality. “There are people who make furniture out of raw timber; they don’t pay taxes, so they sell their products cheaply compared to us who have to pay all the taxes and dry our timber to make high quality furniture,” says Mr Byandusya. Through it all, the company has managed to overcome the challenges by respecting its employees and paying them on time as well as not compromising on standards of furniture and fittings.

Successful company Despite the challenges, Master Wood Investments Ltd is considered one of the most successful companies in the timber industry in Uganda. The company’s success is attributed to the quality products it produces consistently. “There is no business without competition, so you just have to

identify your niche and know what your clients want and provide it,” says Mr Byandusya. In addition, Master Wood is efficient and delivers products according to the time-lines given. “Clients appreciate this and we know it is a big problem with most furniture dealers,” says Mr Byandusya. “We treat our clients and employees with respect.” The dedication and sacrifice of the financial director, Mrs Byandusya, has also been pivotal to the company’s success as it has kept the company in a good financial position. As part of its future plans, Master Wood would like to start making modular products using particle boards since hardwoods are becoming scarcer and very expensive.

Advice to start-ups Mr Byandusya advises those who are starting in business to minimise their expectations. “Do not expect to hit a gold mine because it is never easy in the beginning, especially in the timber and furniture trade,” he says. “And once you have started, respect your clients and employees as well as time schedules.” He advises businesses to specialise. “Build capacity and identify your niche, concentrate on a few products that you can do well, but if you have capacity to do everything then it is fine.” Mr Byandusya would like to see regulations in the industry as this would encourage serious investors. “The playing field in the timber industry is not level,” he says. “The industry is very informal and only a few companies pay taxes.” He adds that taxation is very high and yet they do not get tax invoices from the timber dealers in the Congo. The writer is the Country Representative, Miti magazine - Uganda Email: diana@mitiafrica.com

Miti October - December 2015

SUCCESSFUL INDUSTRY

The unexplored potential of bamboo Investor urges Kenyans to adopt an ‘Idle-land-go-bamboo’ policy BY WANJIRU CIIRA

hen Mwicigi Njuguna bought 20 acres of land in Isinya, Kajiado District in 2004, his idea was to buy calves, fatten them and sell them to the Kenya Meat Commission for beef. This never came to be. He then went into other ventures including growing flowers for export, horticulture, pig and rabbit rearing. For different reasons, all these ventures did not work. In 2008, Mr Njuguna approached the Kenya Government for a licence to establish and operate a tissue culture laboratory for propagating bamboo for seedlings. It took several years of negotiations, and in 2011 Mr Njuguna’s farm, Kitil Farm, was licensed to operate as an open quarantine farm and grow bamboo seedlings using biotechnology, among other propagation techniques. The farm, which currently employs 15 members of staff, grows bamboo seedlings using biotechnology including tissue culture. “We

deploy very high standards of micro propagation to ensure that our seedlings have mature rooting and a survival rate of over 98 per cent even under very harsh conditions,” says Mr Njuguna. “Kitil Farm is the largest bamboo plantation nursery in Africa,” adds Mr Njuguna. “We grow and sell high quality bamboo seedlings in Kenya and bamboo plantlets to countries outside Kenya.” Apart from individuals, Kitil also sells bamboo seedlings to investment groups, government departments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community based organisations (CBOs), among many other people. “We also assist in establishing bamboo plantations for investors,” says Mr Njuguna “We have five million bamboo seedlings and an infrastructure that is able to produce over 600,000 bamboo plantlets within 30 days for both the local and export market,” says Mr Njuguna.

Kitil farm also establishes bamboo nurseries and rehabilitates degraded land to fully functional ecosystems, using bamboo. Kitil Farm has been involved with international investors to rehabilitate degraded land into commercial bamboo plantations in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. “We have also been involved in landscape restoration in some Kenyan water towers, have serviced international contracts in Africa, Asia, and new areas of collaboration are opening up in Europe, Australia and South Pacific islands,” The farm has also worked closely with the Green Belt Movement on a bamboo project for a women’s group in Muran’ga. In addition, Kitil Farm trains individual investors and/or groups on all aspects of bamboo care, bamboo management, harvesting and associated technologies. “Information on bamboo is very rare. That is why Kitil Farm has put up a website from which interested buyers can learn the basics of bamboo farming, uses and marketing strategies,” explains Mr Njuguna. Kitil Farm is in the process of establishing a bamboo genetic bank. This will ensure that the farm is able to produce bamboo seedlings of about 1,200 species and related sub-species. Currently, Kitil Farm produces 12 bamboo species. The farm advises clients on the species to plant based on the ecological zone and the intended use. The species include Oxytenanthera abyssinica, Dendrocalamus membranaceus cv. Grandis, Bambusa sp. with long internode, Phyllostachys pubescens (moso) and Dendrocalamus maximuslamina, among others. “Bamboo is no longer the ‘poor man’s timber’ as it has been referred to in the past,” says Mr Njuguna. “We advise owners of idle land of whatever size to develop commercial bamboo plantations.” Mr Njuguna is proud of the achievements of Kitil Farm. “As a company, we have developed our own laboratory protocols for the micro propagation of various bamboo species,” he explains. “We have developed clear training modules on bamboo that reflect the needs of our clients.” During the rainy season, between five to 10

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clients visit the farm daily. Some come for training while others come to buy seedlings and plantlets. A number of county governments have expressed interest in working with Kitil Farm to develop commercial bamboo plantations, train residents and expose them to bamboo farming. “We have held workshops for various county residents and they are happy with the performance of the bamboo they buy during the workshops,” says Mr Njuguna. “We are working with the Vision 2030 Secretariat to expand bamboo training,” adds Mr Njuguna. Kitil Farm has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on bamboo commercialisation with a number of organisations including Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSDA). In the area of processing, Kitil Farm currently makes activated charcoal and bamboo leaf tea and treats bamboo poles. The farm is in the process of establishing a bamboo manufacturing unit. Mr Njuguna strongly believes that the concept of a Green Economy can be realised easily by Kenya adopting a policy of ‘Idle-landgo-bamboo’. “This would ensure that investors who knock at our doors looking for huge supplies of bamboo for pulp, timber, and other industrial use, find enough bamboo within Kenya. There is a huge market for bamboo, but the quantities are too small and sparsely distributed,” says Mr Njuguna. Bamboo grows differently under different ecological zones; and the major factor to consider when planting is temperature rather than elevation. After five years, a bamboo clump can yield about 50 stems per year for the next 40 years. The price of a stem/culm of local bamboo measuring 6m in length and 6 to 10cm in diameter and weighing between 6 to 10kgs is between Ksh 50 to Ksh 100. The solid and giant bamboo fetches more. Mr Njuguna believes planting bamboo is an effective way of addressing climate change and global warming. Converting land containing relatively low levels of carbon (e.g. shrub and pasture lands, agricultural fields, or degraded forests) into forested land, which contains more carbon in the vegetation and soil, more atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) could potentially be sequestered in global ecosystems. “Bamboo is a grass. The more you harvest the mature culms, the more it grows new shoots and culms,” explains Mr Njuguna. “This ensures that the ground has a constant cover and is not left bare.” What challenges does Kitil Farm face? “We have had some setbacks in the development

Miti October - December 2015

of indigenous tree seedlings, including lack of growing material and updated information on the various species,” says Mr Njuguna. “In the area of bamboo propagation, the development of protocols has been expensive in terms of resources and time. Lack of information on the immense potential of bamboo has hindered substantial sales.” In addition, says Mr Njuguna, there are no bamboo tissue culture experts in Kenya. “We rely on overseas networks, and Kitil Farm’s is the only tissue culture bamboo in Kenya.” Despite the scope that this fast-growing and versatile plant offers for economic development, bamboo’s potential is still overlooked. In Africa, according to Mr Njuguna, only Ghana, Ethiopia and Rwanda have exploited the great potential in bamboo. “Kenyans don’t know the great potential that lies in bamboo,” says Mr Njuguna. “For this reason, they don’t appreciate the need to plant it.” Mr Njuguna would like to see simple bamboo demonstration centres in the country. Kitil Farm

would then work with the county or national governments in community mobilisation for planting bamboo. What are Kitil Farm’s plans for the future? “We plan to expand our tissue culture lab and ensure that at any given time we have a minimum of 12 million bamboo seedlings and over three million indigenous tree seedlings available,” says Mr Njuguna. The company also plans to establish a bamboo information resource centre. “We want to see Kitil Farm support afforestation efforts all over the world by providing quality bamboo planting materials,” says Mr Njuguna. “We want to make a substantive contribution to efforts aimed at addressing climate change and curbing global warming, including and not limited to floods mitigation, landscape restoration and commercial collaboration frontiers, both large scale and medium size.” The writer is the Managing Editor, Miti magazine Email: wanjiru@mitiafrica.com

TREE SPECIES

The mvule tree needs to be preserved

A Milicia excelsa tree in the freedom square of Makerere University. Several branches have been removed and the remaining ones are infested with a strangler fig. (Photo: Gerald Eilu)

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Milicia excelsa, a valuable timber species, is threatened with extinction BY GERALD EILU

he iroko or mvule tree (Milicia excelsa) is a large, deciduous, valuable timber tree that grows up to 50m high. It has a large trunk that is normally straight and cylindrical (sometimes up to 20m to the first branching) making it very suitable for sawing into timber. It belongs to the Moraceae family and is widely distributed throughout tropical Africa from Angola in southern Africa to Senegal in West Africa. This is one of the most popular timber tree species in East Africa. The wood is an attractive light brown colour, durable, works easily, is heavy, strong, open grained and resistant to termites. It is mainly used for outdoor construction work, furniture, boats, cabinet work, panelling, frames and floors. Other uses include soil conservation, shade, shelter and ornamental purposes. The bark, ashes and latex are used in local medicine. The latex is used to reduce tumours and obstructions of the throat and for stomach problems. The bark is used to treat coughs, dysentery and heart problems. The medicinal uses probably require scientific validation. The tree occurs in different vegetation habitats. It is a rather common species that is often left standing after land clearance. Natural regeneration is good in open areas. However, the IUCN Redlist of threatened species categorises this species as “Lower risk/ Near threatened” (see version 2.3). Inclusion on the IUCN Redlist helps to prioritise species in the order in which they require attention to reduce pressure and prevent extinction. Previously, the mvule was listed as “Near threatened” by 1998. The current listing suggests that efforts put in place to save this species appear to be yielding positive results and there is an improvement in its status. However, observations in various parts of Uganda show that this may not be the real situation and the status is indeed worse than depicted. The tree suffers from heavy exploitation, and the species needs upgrading on the IUCN list to reflect the real risk. Uganda was, in the past, one of the major sources of timber from this species but the supplies are now much reduced. Some populations of this species suffer from gall attacks, especially at the seedling to sapling stages, imposing additional pressure on survival during the early stages. Some of the surviving trees are faced with other risks such as excessive removal of branches and defoliation due to heavy nesting by marabou storks. Efforts to save this species need to focus

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on propagation and strategies to save wild populations particularly outside the protected areas. In order to achieve this, it is important to note that the male and female flowers are found on separate trees. Male flowers are white, and recognisable in being closely crowded on pendulous, slender catkins (spikes) dangling from twigs of the outer crown. Female trees produce erect flower spikes; the flowers are greenish, in shorter and much fatter spikes. It is believed that the branches of female trees hang down while the male ones have upright branches (World Agroforestry Centre), which helps to differentiate them. Propagation Seeds should be collected to propagate this tree. The fruit is green, wrinkled, and fleshy and resembles a green caterpillar. It carries small hard seeds in the pulp. Fully ripe fruits should be collected from the ground and soaked in water for one to four days to remove the pulp. Longer soaking reduces viability. After extraction, seeds should be dried in the shade for a few days to about 8 per cent moisture content and stored in dry, cold, air-tight containers at 3°C. Seeds could last for at least a year but preferably should be planted within three months because thereafter, viability reduces rapidly. No additional pre-treatment is required. The seeds are broadcast in a seed bed and watered lightly. They germinate within 14 - 18 days. The production is about 350,000 - 475,000 (500,000) seeds per kilogramme. The tree can also be propagated from stumps, coppices and rook suckers. In this case, sprouts (about 2cm in diameter), may also be transplanted. Seedlings have to be protected against gall attack and planted after 12 - 18 months at a spacing of 9 x 9m with nurse trees (e.g. Trema orientalis or Makharmia lutea). Mixed tree planting is encouraged to limit incidence of leaf gall. The tree is relatively fast-growing. Vegetation should be removed around the stumps and the area weeded for two to five years. Young trees need to be protected from browsing. Thinning should be done over year four to eight, retaining the best trees in each group. The tree should be ready for harvesting at about 50 - 80 years. Growing conditions Since mvule is a secondary tree (grows in the recovery of vegetation that has been disturbed and partially destroyed) of wet savannah,

rainforest and riverine habitats, it can be planted in many areas. It is a forest pioneer species but also survives in mature forest as a canopy tree. It is often left in old cultivated areas and as such, demands light strongly. Mvule can tolerate a dry season of up to six months and can grow in areas with mean annual rainfall as low as 700mm provided it has access to extra water from a perennial stream or underground source. However, it does not tolerate water logging. The species tolerates a wide range of freely drained soils, preferring deep, fertile and moist loams, freely drained light loams, or freely drained sandy soils of neutral to alkaline reaction. It tolerates fairly high salinity. A successful planting of mvule in Uganda was done more than 60 years ago by Semei Kakungulu, an administrator of the Buganda Kingdom. He was born in 1868 and served in the King’s court. During his term in eastern Uganda, he planted mvule as an avenue tree along Budaka and Mbale highways and around the administrative centres. He really loved trees. It is rumoured that he planted the trees to show power and occupation of the expansive territory east of the Nile. He planted hundreds or probably thousands of trees successfully. He was given an award posthumously by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) for his contribution in protecting the environment. Unfortunately, many of the trees have been cut down in recent years. Conservation and future outlook Efforts to promote the planting and conservation of this species should therefore include massive sensitisation, multiplication of planting materials and by-laws limiting cutting for firewood and charcoal. Protecting wild individuals against browsers is important as well and should be encouraged. The status of mvule on the IUCN Redlist should be reviewed with a view of upgrading it from Lower Risk/near threatened to a higher category to attract attention for its conservation. (Additional information on this tree was published in Miti issue 27.) The writer is a lecturer in the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda Email: gerald.eilu@gmail.com

SUCCESSFUL TREE-GROWER

Work with others, tree-growers advised Commercial planter sees merit in forming associations BY DIANA AHEBWE

obert Bariiho, a private tree-grower in Uganda, wants to plant 600 hectares of trees. Since he started planting in 2004, he has planted 380 hectares of pine and 120 hectares of eucalyptus. He is moving away from pines to eucalyptus because the latter give quick returns. With eucalyptus, one starts reaping right from the first thinnings, yet pine thinnings are “wasted”. In addition, when one plants eucalyptus clones, one only needs to maintain them for a year and leave them because the canopy closes at that stage, suppressing the weeds, so a farmer spends less on maintenance. Mr Bariiho says forestry is the best investment one can have because it gives very good returns at 15 to 20 years. Mr Bariiho and others realised that commercial tree farmers need to come

together, so in 2007, they formed the Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA). So far, the association has a membership of 350 commercial tree growers across the country. In addition, UTGA has formed clusters of treegrowers around the country. Mubende Cluster is the largest of these, incorporating large-scale tree-growers. Clusters were formed to pool efforts and resources for establishment and maintenance of commercial plantations as well as value addition and marketing. From pine to eucalyptus Many tree growers have been frustrated by the time pine trees take to mature, as well the returns. The reason could be that farmers see the first thinnings of pine as waste (“thin to waste”). This contrasts with eucalyptus thinnings that have a number of uses. In addition, eucalypts

mature faster than pine. However, despite these differences, farmers cannot abandon pines completely because most times, the land available for commercial treegrowing is marginal and only suitable for pines. Many people argue that eucalyptus drain water from the soil. “While this is true, it is the same for any fast-growing tree,” says Mr Bariiho. The solution would be to set aside land for commercial tree-growing and avoid taungya (mixing crops and trees) if you want good results. There is a pilot scheme, funded by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) through the Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS), for production of firewood and charcoal from eucalyptus. Mr Bariiho is among those contracted to plant trees for the scheme. It has been shown that if eucalyptus is planted on one acre, an average household

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would have firewood to last them for one anda-half years. This is because eucalyptus can be harvested continuously and it coppices, thus reducing pressure on natural forests. Different options of value addition Value addition is a major problem in the forestry sector in Uganda due to lack of proper equipment. There are different options available to process the harvested mature trees or the thinning product. These include use of a contractor or pit sawyer who comes to a plantation and processes the timber. Another option is to transport the harvested logs to a processing plant. For example, a number of Chinese companies in Kampala have specialised in processing logs to make chipboards, plywood, chip doors, etcetera, although the prices they pay farmers are rather low. If a tree-grower uses a contractor or a pit sawyer to process logs from the second thinning, one would expect to get Ush 2.4 million per hectare. An alternative option is selling to a Chinese company that would do the processing but then the income reduces to Ush 1.2 million per hectare because one would have to deliver the thinning produce to the factory. “As a tree-grower, it is not advisable to buy your own sawmill as an individual because you will not have enough raw material after harvesting your own trees,” advises Mr Bariiho. Many tree-growers are getting close to harvest

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time and they have high expectations, but the only way they can make a profit is by combining efforts, says Mr Bariiho. The Mubende Cluster members have, with the help of UTGA, engaged the services of an American investor with a big sawmill to process their timber. They are working on a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the company. The tree-growers expect that this will raise the timber recovery rate from the current 30 per cent. “Tree-growers should focus on value addition in whichever way,” says Mr Bariiho. He adds that whereas an unprocessed log fetches Ush 40,000, a processed one will sell for Ush 70,000. Is it worthwhile to invest in forestry? “Yes, it definitely is, although it requires resilience and passion,” says Mr Bariiho. These are the qualities that have led to his success. He advises investors to be optimistic about the future. “What makes forestry a good business is that one receives money in a lump sum which one would not have managed to save,” he says. A tree-grower can get Ush 1 million per hectare on harvesting trees. The income would be higher if the timber conversion rate was higher than 30 per cent. However, even at a poor conversion rate, forestry is still a worthwhile business venture. Challenges faced by most growers The challenge most tree growers may face is

that money might not come as expected because of the low conversion rate. In addition, a treegrower needs resources all the time to carry out all the silvicultural activities. Fire also presents a big risk, especially during the dry season. In time however, tree-growers have learnt the fire seasons and how to contain fires. Mr Bariiho has faced a challenge with labour. “After working for a few days, workers leave for higher wages, abandoning the plantation,” he says. He has also used contractors but they do not always pay the workers they hire, so the workers become frustrated and leave. “I have resorted to contracting prisoners, who do a good job although they are expensive,” he says. Advice to tree-growers “If you have land, forestry is the best investment you can make because you are assured of the future,” says Mr Bariiho. “But you must ensure that you have resources at all times.” He also advises tree-growers to work together under an organisation like UTGA. Working together makes it easier to buy equipment, seeds and other inputs in bulk, which brings costs down. Farmers also benefit from shared technical information, knowledge and experiences. “It is costly to work alone,” says Mr Bariiho. The writer is a Country Representative Miti magazine-Uganda Email: diana@mitiafrica.com

FORESTRY

Ugandan small-holders join the carbon trade ECOTRUST has developed technical specifications, including a method for calculating carbon sequestered BY JAN VANDENABEELE

he Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST), a Ugandan non-governmental organisation (NGO) is executing a highly innovative project with small-holder farmers in western Uganda. They are growing indigenous trees in a carbon trading scheme with Plan Vivo, a Scottish charity that has created a standard and guidelines for farmers who want to manage their land sustainably. Every farmer creates a simple management plan of what he wants to do with his land, and the carbon sequestration services are quantified. ECOTRUST, in cooperation with partners, has developed technical specifications, including a method for calculating carbon sequestered. The Miti team visited three farmers in Mitooma District (previously Bushenyi District), Bitereko County. This is a densely populated area, with an altitude in general above 1600m and enjoying good rainfall of over 1000mm per year. Beatrice Ahimbisimwe, ECOTRUSTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local coordinator, is in touch with 415 farmers in the area, who have accepted the Plan Vivo standard. One of these farmers is Captain Emmanuel Mutabaazi, who grows tea,

bananas, coffee, sugar cane and other food crops, and of course, trees. He established a mixed species woodlot of 1,000 trees with ECOTRUST 10 years ago. He has planted Zanthoxylum gilletii (East African satinwood), Prunus africana (red stinkwood), Polyscias fulva (the parasol tree), Maesopsis eminii (msisi), Cordia africana (large leaved cordia, mukebu), Croton megalocarpus (musine), Podocarpus latifolius (East African yellow wood, podo), different species of Ficus, Warburgia ugandensis (East African greenheart), Markhamia lutea (siala), and Toona (toon / red cedar) species. The parasol tree, msisi, cordia and musine are fast growers; red stinkwood and East African greenheart are slow growers; while podo and siala are medium growers. This is

taken into account in the harvesting schedule and corresponding carbon sequestration. The felling of trees is defined according to the growth category. Capt Mutabaazi has also planted different fruit species such as avocado, mango and jackfruit at a spacing of 5x5m. In this favourable climate for agriculture, the trees are thriving, except for msisi, which, for reasons not understood, is not doing well. Another farmer, Charles Barisimayi, has planted podo, as well as more species like Spathodea campanulata (Nandi flame), Toona species, musine, red stinkwood and East African greenheart. His podos are intercropped with coffee. Another farmer, Augustine Tibahura, planted Terminalia superba (limba) on a big

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scale. The trees netted him Ush 12 million (Ksh 400,000) in carbon credits last year, although the plantation shows some mortality. All planting distances were 5x5m, and he intercropped with tea, coffee and bananas. Organisation of the scheme Before starting the programme, potential members were sensitised on it. The woodlots of participating growers are monitored twice a year. This includes a complete tree count, per species, in a sample of farms. At age five, diameter at breast height (DBH), height and crown diameter are measured. The programme is not only open to individual farmers but also schools and churches. However, at present, there is no further recruitment. Captain Mutabaazi received several payments for the carbon his trees have been storing. On planting, he received 30 per cent; then 20 per cent at year 1; 20 per cent at year 2; 10 per cent at year 5 and the final 20 per cent at year 10. The total value has been calculated according to the volume the trees will reach, based on a universal formula, out of which the carbon storage has been derived. The existence of the woodlot and its proper maintenance is verified by an independent auditor, so that carbon credits can been issued. The credits are then sold on the voluntary market

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to companies like Tetrapak, Future Forests, Camco and others. The price ranges between US$ 14 - 80 per tonne of carbon. The independent auditor sees that the Plan Vivo Standard Principles (carbon benefits, ecosystem benefits, livelihood benefits) are adhered to. In addition, the auditor checks other aspects of the scheme, like the transparency of the operation and the way payments are done. In this case, all the growers in the group that Beatrice Ahimbesibwe coordinates are members of the Bitereko Carbon Community, which is

In addition … On a nearby hillside, Captain Mutabaazi also grows eucalyptus trees, from which he makes more money than from the indigenous species he has planted with ECOTRUST. Nevertheless, he feels that the value of all the species lies in the high-quality timber, medicinal use, wild fruits and other uses like bee forage and protection against erosion. Ms Ahimbisibwe says that the farmers are attached to their trees and will not cut them before the true felling time. “They value the trees for more than just money,” she says.

registered at district level, and payment of carbon credits is done through a local Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO). Ms Ahimbesibwe is not paid a salary but receives travelling allowances. She was elected for the job by the members of the community, and has three assistants. The members meet at the Sub-County office every last Saturday of the month. At least half of them normally turn up. These meetings provide a training ground, and problems that members encounter are discussed. About ECOTRUST The above-described carbon off-setting scheme is known as “Trees for global benefits”, and it is only one of several income-generating streams designed by ECOTRUST. Many of the streams are about creating a better life for farmers, mostly small-holders. Farmers are trained about land rights and other issues like how to acquire title deeds. ECOTRUST also offers conservation financing for environmental protection on Mt Elgon. A more complete description of ECOTRUST’s activities can be found on its website. The writer is the Executive Director, Better Globe Forestry Email: jan@betterglobeforestry.com

UGANDA DRYLANDS

‘Cattle corridor’ under threat Privatisation of land in Uganda’s livestock landscape has led to devastating droughts and other negative consequences BY PATRICK BYAKAGABA

he “cattle corridor” is the major landscape that has sustained livestock production in Uganda for several decades. It extends from the Uganda - Tanzania border in the south west, through the central region to the north east bordering Kenya and Sudan. It covers approximately 43 per cent of the land area of Uganda. By 2008 when the last livestock census was carried out, it was estimated that there are 11.4 million herds of cattle within the corridor. This area traditionally was managed by pastoral communities who utilised the area in a manner that preserved grazing and watering resources. This changed in the 1990s when some of the areas previously accessed by pastoral communities but owned by the state were privatised. Many of the new ranch owners fenced off their holdings. This hindered the traditional practices of exploiting grazing resources, especially watering points and drought reserves, in a sustainable manner. Studies show that livestock mobility where herds are allowed to access forage that varies in quality and quantity and in a manner that allows easing of grazing pressure is critical for efficient and sustained livestock production. Individualisation of land in the “cattle corridor” has not only contributed to social injustice but has also had an impact on the ecological integrity of this landscape that pastoral communities have depended on for hundreds of years. Many of them were left with small holdings in an extremely unreliable landscape in terms of quality of watering points and grazing areas. This reduced the available strategies to overcome environmental risks and limited their livelihood options. There is increased grazing pressure and ecological degradation. Pastoral communities are increasingly cutting trees and shrubs to open up more space for pasture for their livestock in the limited areas they occupy especially in the districts of Nakasongola, Luwero, Sembabule, Kyankwazi, Kiboga and Nakaseke. Excessive grazing has often reduced soil cover and negatively affected soil structure and water infiltration with negative

impact on the land. Cattle keepers often give concessions to charcoal producers to cut trees and shrubs in their small holdings to allow growth of more fodder for livestock. This is despite studies showing that trees enhance water holding capacity and macro porosity which are important for infiltration and redistribution of soil water. Ecological degradation of this landscape has been observed and been reported in various studies. Devastating droughts have become more frequent in the “cattle corridor” compared to the times when pastoralists used the land in a more flexible manner. Today, pastoralists are “forced” to cut trees and bushes that would have reduced the impact of drought on livestock. It is therefore important that livestock farmers in the cattle corridor of Uganda maintain trees and shrubs on their land to mitigate the impact of droughts. This will not only secure livestock production but also enhance the ecological integrity of this important landscape and ensure watering points are well drained. However, this is only possible if there are policy interventions that promote growing and maintaining of trees and shrubs in the cattle corridor. Tree species such as Faidherbia albida (apple ring acacia), should be promoted for this

landscape. The tree is highly drought resistant and useful in nutrient cycling and suitable for browsers. Other tree species such as Balanites aegyptiaca (desert date), which has immense socio-economic potential and ecological value, ought to be explored for establishment and maintenance in the cattle corridor. Other energy crops such as Acacia polyacantha (falcon’s claw acacia), which can be processed into charcoal, ought to be promoted in this area. This would reduce pressure on existing native species that are being cut indiscriminately and converted to charcoal using very inefficient kilns. That way, degraded sites would be restored to enable harnessing of the area’s economic potential. Policy makers should consider addressing the land ownership inequalities in the cattle corridor to cater for the unique socioeconomic and ecological characteristics of this landscape. This ought to be supported by improved rangeland monitoring by the relevant agencies to ensure optimal and ecologically sound management principles are adhered to by users of this landscape. The writer is a lecturer at the School of Forestry, Environment and Geographical Sciences, Makerere University Email: byaks2001@yahoo.com

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TREE FARMING

Making sound economic choices Should farmers harvest borassus palm leaves or fruits? BY GERALD EILU

any rural communities in East Africa are faced with the dilemma of whether to harvest multipurpose trees for fibre or keep them for fruit. Maintaining a fruit tree on-farm may provide a long-term supply of fruits while felling the same tree for charcoal, firewood or raw materials for craft would generate immediate income. In Uganda, the Borassus aethiopum (borassus palm) presents a typical example. In most cases there is limited knowledge of the profitability of the different options. This article examines this challenge and offers advice on the choices to make. Borassus palm The borassus palm is a multipurpose tree. It produces edible fruits, it is ornamental and medicinal and the leaves are used for fashioning crafts, among other functions. The fruits are mostly enjoyed by children as snacks and are not considered major sources of income. Collecting or harvesting fruits may, in the long term, have adverse effects on the natural regeneration of the species. The seeds are necessary for germination to take place and if depleted, regeneration would not take place. In most cases, however, numerous fruits are produced and if regulated, collecting some may not have adverse effects. Other uses like harvesting of leaves for crafts and construction may affect fruit yield and survival of the palm in the wild. The challenges Which of the two options should we tolerate or promote? One of the biggest threats to utilised wild plants is unsustainable harvesting. Recent observations in Soroti District, eastern Uganda, show that the leaves of B. aethiopum have been harvested unsustainably for construction and crafts. If not regulated, this will endanger and drive the wild borassus palm populations to extinction. If harvesting of leaves were to continue at the present rate, the tree would be wiped out of Uganda’s borassus savannahs, particularly outside the protected areas. Experiences with other palms in Uganda show that this is possible. The rattan cane

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(Clamus deeratus) that is used to make stools and weave chairs was overharvested and depleted in Uganda’s forests. People have now turned to the most immediate alternatives such as Alchornea cordifolia, a scrambling shrub. What will happen when this is depleted as well? Harvesters will probably move on to another, not equally good, alternative. Another example is the raphia palm (Raphia farinifera) whose leaves are harvested for construction and making mats. Wild populations of this species are getting depleted and in the near future supplies will be very limited. What should be done to protect the borassus palm? The threat needs to be addressed immediately. There is need to regulate the harvesting of borassus palm leaves by sensitising the local communities and making them aware that: • current harvesting practices will deprive future generations of both fruits and craft materials; • there should be mechanisms for regulating the harvesting; • they should develop local guidelines on the harvesting of B. aethiopum products; • fruit collection and value addition as well as

marketing of products obtained from the fruits are more profitable than harvesting leaves. A study carried out in Adamawa state in Nigeria showed that marketing the products of B. aethiopum is a profitable venture. Edible hypocotyls were more profitable than the mats obtained from leaves, but the fruits follow closely. The fruits may be dried and used to produce flour for adding flavour to other flours, for enhancing aroma in other products and as food colour. Juice could also be extracted from the fruits. These uses should be promoted. Conclusion Communities often resort to harvesting leaves for crafts partly because in the absence of value addition, people are unable to get much from fruits. If marketing and post-harvest handling matters are addressed, the financial and nutritional benefits of Borassus aethiopum will be demonstrated and the local harvesters can then be dissuaded from harvesting the leaves to the detriment of the palm. The writer is a lecturer at the Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, Makerere University Email: gerald.eilu@gmail.com

WATER MANAGEMENT

Restoring watersheds in Uganda Degradation of ecosystems reduces the quality and availability of resources BY SARAH AKELLO ESIMU

atersheds are sources of food, fresh water, raw materials such as poles, sand, stones, craft materials, herbs and timber for domestic and industrial use. They are also responsible for creating and regulating fresh water flow, among other things. However, degradation of watersheds is an environmental challenge and an area of concern globally and in Uganda in particular. The degradation is leading to reduction in quality and availability of the watershed resources. Their restoration is therefore urgent. Watershed restoration endeavours to return the ecosystem to as close as possible to its state prior to deterioration. In Uganda, watershed are estimated to cover 26,308km2 and are divided into four water management zones (WMZs) namely, the Upper Nile, Albert Nile, Lake Victoria and Kyoga WMZs. The philosophy behind watershed management is to keep water in the soil and keep soil in place. This is crucial given that water is life and soil is wealth. The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Water and Environment (MWE) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has, through various projects, attempted to protect and restore the degraded watersheds to cater for the socio-economic needs and livelihoods of adjacent communities. One of the projects implemented is Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation (FIEFOC). In an effort to improve the livelihoods of the communities through forestry, FIEFOC embarked

The degraded banks of River Manafwa in the Doho Rice Scheme in Butaleja District. (Photo: Sarah Esimu)

on re-vegetating the degraded watersheds in the project areas. Apart from planting trees on-farm, other interventions were establishment of soil and water conservation technologies, protection of natural forests or woodlands and agroforestry practices. The overall aim of these interventions was to minimise soil loss, which in turn has a bearing on the productivity of the soil. The major approaches to watershed restoration in Uganda are discussed below.

Re-vegetation of watersheds Over the years as a result of population growth, lack of alternatives for some of the resources, ignorance, corruption, greed and poverty, among others, watersheds in Uganda have been degraded. There has been significant erosion of soil, loss of soil fertility, a decline in crop yields, reduction in watershed resources such as fuel wood, timber, and craft materials, among others. Degradation has also led to siltation of water bodies which in turn has led to decline in fish catch, water quality and quantity and power production, to mention but a few. The situation in water-stressed areas such as the cattle corridor tends to be worse, especially during the prolonged dry seasons as it leads to the death of livestock. Tree-planting increases forest resources and controls soil erosion because trees hold the soil firm and assist in nutrient recycling. It also contributes to enhancing the hydrological cycle, which is important for the livelihoods of the people.

Afforestation takes different forms, ranging from boundary planting, avenue and road planting, enrichment planting, woodland improvement, encroachment planting, urban planting, woodlot establishment, commercial plantations to agroforestry as the most preferred depending on the land holdings. Therefore, every Ugandan can contribute to afforestation in any of the above planting systems suitable to them.

Agroforestry practices Agroforestry is simply defined as the planting of trees, growing of agricultural crops and rearing of livestock on the same piece of land. Agroforestry is the most common tree planting system in Uganda and has been practised traditionally for ages in areas where farmers have small land holdings. It is common to find farmers growing agricultural crops such as coffee, bananas together with trees such as Maesopsis eminii (musizi), Ficus natalensis (mutuba) and Albizia coriaria (mugavu). However, the contemporary agroforestry species promoted are Calliandra callothyrsus, Sesbania sesban, Tephrosia and Leucaena leucocephala. These species are preferred for their fast growth and multiple uses such as fuel wood, nitrogen fixing, fodder for livestock, forage for bees and hedgerows at homesteads. These species do not have large canopies and elaborate rooting systems and are therefore easy to plant in any size of land, unlike the traditional agroforestry tree species.

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Protection of natural forest and woodlands Natural forests and woodlands are rich in biodiversity. They also help in absorbing rain water, which in some cases is later released in the form of streams and rivers and controlling water runoff. Natural forests influence the micro-climate of an area and are habitats for wildlife, including bees that are useful in pollinating agricultural crops for increased crop yields. In addition, natural forests are a major source of forest products and services. In cases of emergencies such as famine, they serve as safety nets by being sources of wild food. Therefore, protecting natural forests ensures sustainable provision of these products and services. In areas where such forests have been degraded, efforts to restore them should be undertaken through: • enrichment planting with tree species of high economic value like mahoganies, mvule and musizi, • woodland improvement, • gap and encroachment planting. In practice, this planting can be carried out in strips or spots, depending on the extent and nature of the degradation. To ensure the integrity of these forests is respected, their boundaries should be marked. This could be by slashing a line and reinforcing it with other infrastructure such as boundary landmarks, mounds, concrete pillars or beacons, live markers and directional trenches. Where applicable, forest-based enterprises or environmentally friendly activities can be promoted. These may include eco-tourism, beerearing, passion fruit-growing and mushroomgrowing. Such forest based income generating activities can produce revenue that can be ploughed back to fund forest management activities. Alternative funding mechanisms such as payment for eco-system services (PES) and carbon trade can be explored as incentives to protect natural forests.

Soil and water conservation technologies With the population of Uganda growing at a very fast rate, pressure on all natural resources, including land, is equally growing. As a result, land available for farming keeps on decreasing in quality and quantity due to other competing land uses. This has led to over- exploitation of the soils, leading to decreased soil fertility and crop yields. This is exacerbated by poor farming methods that if not stemmed, will promote further soil and water degradation.

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Contour hedge reinforced with calliandra in Makhai Watershed in Mbale District. (Photos: Sarah Esimu)

Trash bund demonstration session in Sironko. (Photos: Sarah Esimu)

The majority of Ugandans are entirely dependent on soil to generate their wealth. Unfortunately, this agriculture is predominantly rain-fed. Consequently, there is a critical need to ensure that the rain water is stored in the soil long enough to enable the crops to mature. The major soil and water conservation technologies being applied in Uganda are establishment of hedgerows using calliandra, sisal, and other plants. Soil and water conservation technologies also involve cultivation along the contours, mulching, cut-off drains and retention ditches. The choice of the technology used and the rate of adoption depends on the terrain of the area, acceptability, ease, affordability, availability of materials, multiple benefits, skill and preference. Other soil and water conservation technologies include stone embankments, check dams, fanya juu, fanya chini, as well as grass and trash bunds.

Conclusion To attain the required outputs in watershed restoration, the following need to be done: • The relevant ministries and departments need to ensure that there is sufficient, genuine and active participation of the local

people in designing, planning, implementing and monitoring and evaluating the projects. • The relevant existing policies, laws, regulations, ordinances and by-laws should be enforced to ensure compliance. Offenders should be prosecuted and given deterrent penalties. In cases where there are no ordinances and by-laws at the local levels, these should be enacted and enforced accordingly. • Technocrats should be involved in giving advice and sensitising the community on technical issues such as species-matching, general silvicultural operations and access to funds for forest management activities. • The government should provide subsidies for imported high quality inputs such as seeds, glyphosates, implements and sawmills. • Private owners of natural forests should be given incentives like payment for ecosystem services (PES) and supported to protect their forests. This is especially so given that there may be no immediate tangible benefits to the owners and yet the forests benefit the entire community. The writer is a PhD student of Agricultural and Rural Innovations - Makerere University Email: sarahakellok@yahoo.com

TREE OF THE BIBLE

The tree Abraham planted at Beer-sheba Two species of the shade tree, tamarisk, grow naturally in Kenyan drylands BY FRANCIS GACHATHI

he book of Genesis 21:33 states that “Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God” (R.S.V.). This comes after Abraham had successfully contended for the water well that King Abimelech’s servants had seized. So what sort of tree is the tamarisk? Tamarisk is a member of the Tamarix family Tamaricaceae, a genus of about 50 species of evergreen trees and shrubs having slender feathery branchlets, minute scale-like leaves and clusters of attractive pink or white flowers. The scale-like leaves and whip-like thin branches give the tree a cedar-like appearance. Twelve of the Tamarix species are found in the Holy Land, often in high salt concentration soils. These are the dominant species on the shores of the Dead Sea. Most botanists and Christian scholars are in agreement that the tamarisk tree that Patriarch Abraham planted at Beer-sheba was the Tamarix aphylla. This is the most popular and commonly planted species in the Holy Land. It is a wellbranched evergreen tree that can grow to over 15m high. It can withstand high temperatures

and long dry spells by sending its roots deep down to find underground water. During the heat of the day it secretes salt that drips from glands in the needle-like leaves. The salt dries on the leaves. During the night, the hygroscopic salt particles absorb water from the cool air. As the moisture increases, the water vapour adheres to and condenses into water droplets. As the sun warms the air in the morning, water evaporates, creating a sort of natural airconditioning, thereby cooling the tree’s branches considerably. This gives the shade of a tamarisk tree a unique pleasant coolness and hence its popularity as a shade tree. In the Middle East, the bark of tamarisk has long been used for tanning and its wood for building and making charcoal. Its branches provide fodder for animals. In Hebrew, Tamarix aphylla is called shel; and in Arabic athal. It is also called the athel pine and the athel tree. Because it excretes salt, it is sometimes referred to as salt cedar. In Kenya, two species of tamarisk grow

naturally in the drylands. Tamarix aphylla, the tree planted by Patriarch Abraham at Beer-sheba, has restricted distribution in the extreme north eastern region, around Mandera. It is called duur in Somali. The other tamarisk species that grows in Kenya is Tamarix nilotica, which has much wider distribution in the dry lowland areas of northern, eastern, southern and coastal Kenya. It is common along river beds, growing on almost pure sand. It is particularly common along the lower Tana and also in Turkana. Local names for Tamarix nilotica include nzinzinda and malakote in Kamba, durtya jovu and durte galana in Orma, duur in Somali, and echeme or echekereng in Turkana. Because of its graceful branches, tamarisk is planted as ornamental. In Turkana, it is popular for construction and for firewood. It is easily propagated from cuttings. The writer is Principal Research Officer, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Email: gachathif@yahoo.com

Better Globe Forestry Ltd

Making Africa greener

Making Africa greener Better Globe Forestry (BGF) is part of The Better Globe Group from Norway, which focuses on the need to fight poverty through promoting massive tree planting and sustainable agricultural programmes. BGF’s vision is to create secure commercial projects with vital humanitarian and environmental activities and as a result become the biggest tree planting company in the world within 20 years.

Land in Kiambere before planting. Note the omnipresent soil erosion

The mission of BGF is to make Africa a greener, healthier place in which to live and eradicate poverty by focusing on the development of profitable, commercial tree plantations that will deliver environmental as well as humanitarian benefits. Miti magazine is a publication of Better Globe. It is the policy of BGF to, among other things: • Create attractive financial opportunities for present and future investors, Continuously identify and address the needs of employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders, the community at large and any other stakeholders, • Focus on the need to help fight poverty, through promoting massive tree planting • Create and sustain motivation throughout the organisation for meeting its business objectives, • Continuously maintain and review an effective and efficient Quality System which as a minimum satisfies the requirements of the appropriate Quality System standard(s), • Continuously improve the performance of all aspects of the organisation.

Workers clearing a thicket in Nyangoro in preparation for tree planting

Our nursery at Kiambere

A two-year-old plantation of Melia volkensii in Kiambere

Workers in BGF’s plantation in Kiambere, after receiving a food donation

A Melia volkensii plus -tree part of our genetic improved programme

Preparing for planting in Kiambere

The committee of Witu Nyongoro ranch with Rino Solberg and Jean-Paul Deprins

www.betterglobeforestry.com

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