Industrial utilisation and improved marketing of some Ghanaian lesser-used timber species from sustainably managed forests

Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) was awarded a research grant by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) to look at the possibilities of introducing some Lesser-Used Timber Species of Ghana to take care of the dwindling primary species.

The project, originally titled "Industrial Utilisation and Improved Marketing of some Lesser-Used Ghanaian Timber Species from Sustainably Managed Forests" is now popularly known as the LUS project.

The general aim of the LUS project was to encourage the forest products industry of Ghana and the subregion to better utilise their forest resources in order to help aid the development of the Ghanaian society while also attaining ITTO's target 2000, i.e. to achieve complete sustainable forest management by the year 2000. Specifically, the overall objectives were to remove pressure from the over exploited primary species like the mahoganies, Iroko etc. by increasing the use of available and sustainably managed wood whose characteristics are generally known but not utilised extensively, using this wood more effectively by minimising waste and increasing value.

The project had three main components:

Forest ecology, Wood Technology and Forest Products Marketing.

Originally 14 Lesser-Used species of Ghana were selected for the study, their selection was based on their availability in the forest and aesthetic value. As results became available during the project, it was deemed necessary to focus attention on a few species rather than continue to work on the original 14 as stipulated in the project document. Eventually, six species were chosen for extensive study: Ceiba (Ceiba pentandra), Antiaris toxicaria, Celtis mildbraedii, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Cylicodiscus gabonensis and Sterculia oblonga.

This paper present the summary of the important findings and their linkages to future activities.