Out of about 100 local timber companies in Ghana, 75 of them have shut down operations due to devastating bushfires.
This development may force Ghana to spend millions on timber imports.
Speaking to the media on July 10, 2024, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Timber Millers Organisation, Dr. Kwame Asamoah said the struggle to secure raw materials has put the remaining 25 timber companies in the Western North, Eastern, and Central Regions at risk of imminent closure.
“Now, in terms of the numbers, the medium to large size companies, most of them have collapsed. So, coming from a figure of about 100 companies now, you have just about 25 that are surviving, operating, exporting, and also providing employment, ” Asamoah said.
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He added that Ghana’s timber industry has seen a decline in raw materials, with round log imports decreasing from 1.2 million cubic meters 20 years ago to just 500,000 cubic meters today.
“Now, in terms of the materials that are coming in, in terms of round logs, it has reduced in quantity from about 1.2 million m³ about 20 years ago to now just around 500,000. The reduction in raw materials is attributed mainly to a decline in the production areas,” he said.
