4. The status of forest products

4.1.1. Productions and Consumption of Wood Products

4.1.1.1. Saw Log

Wood products that are produced locally are saw log and fuel wood.

Logging in Eritrea was started intensively during the Italian colonial era. Up to 1947, 55 sawmills and small wood processing firms were established in the country. (Aldo, 1947, cited in MOA, 1994). The major tree species exploited by the logging companies were Juniperus procera, Olea africana, Hyphaene thebaica, Balanites aegyptiaca, and Acacia albida /Faidherbia albida. At this time, except about four old sawmills, which are most of the time idle or working some times in very low capacity from locally harvested Eucalyptus logs in Asmara, all other sawmills are either non-existent or closed due to lack of sawlogs.

The production and consumption of round wood for timber production during the last 5 years at national level is shown in the following tables.

Table 2: Production of Round Wood from Locally Harvested Eucalyptus Trees at National Level

N.B. All these saw logs were consumed in the same year. Conversion factor from

quintal to m³ = 6:1.

The sawn timber produced from the above mentioned sawmills are used for the production of boxes, which are mainly used for handling vegetables and fruits. The slabs, which are produced during the process of sawing, are used for firewood. The recovering percentage of the saw logs is about 60%. This rate is acceptable, as the tapering of the saw log is relatively low

Table 3: Consumption of Round Wood in the Four Sawmills from Locally Harvested Eucalyptus Trees in Tons

4.1.1.2. Wood fuel

Where fuel wood and charcoal consumption is concerned, the Department of Energy in co-operation with Lahmeyer International (a company from Germany) has carried out a project "Strengthening the Department of Energy (DOE)" during February 1996-March 1997.

According to this study 78% of the total national energy consumption is consumed at household level and 59% of the total final national energy consumption is from wood fuel.

According to the household energy survey, 69.4% of the total household energy consumption is from fuel wood and 10.7% from charcoal (table 7).

Table 4: Total Household Energy Consumption: Using a Specimen 1996 Population Estimate of 2.9 million

The following Table sets out estimated consumption of biomass fuels by households given a hypothetical 1996 population of around 2.9 million

Table 5: Biomass Energy Consumption 1994-1997 in Physical Units (tones)

Table 6: Annual National Energy Demand, Fuel by Sector

Based on the above study, the national wood fuel (both fuel wood and charcoal) consumption level is estimated at 1.48 million tons per annum, most of which comprised firewood (90.5%). This figure (1.48 million tons) is obtained from the table figure of 1.45 million tons on the assumption that all the charcoal consumed on a national scale as not carbonised charcoal (i.e., kiln charcoal), rather a substantial amount of this quantity comes from the recycling process of fuel wood at the hearth. Thus, out of the total charcoal consumption, estimated at 117,419 tons, only 20% is considered to be kiln produced, i.e., 23,484 tones, and a kiln conversion efficiency of 30% is assumed (i.e., 6:1 ratio).

The biomass energy consumed within the country is estimated to constitute about 82% of the whole, and of that of this, wood energy is estimated to be about 70%. The share of energy supplies for Asmara is estimated to be:

Fuel wood and charcoal 80%

Cow dung and crop residue 5%

Electricity 10%

Gas stoves and kerosene 5%

Asmara the Capital City of Eritrea is found in the Central Highlands of the Country with total inhabitants of about 400,000 individuals. Fuel wood which is consumed in this city (total annual fuel wood consumption is about 60,000 tons) is obtained mainly from the Western Lowlands and some from Eastern Lowlands of Eritrea.

Fuel wood supply for this city, according to the Ministry of Agriculture reports is tabulated in table 10.

Table 7: Annual Fuel Wood Supply to Asmara City

Based on the total annual fuel wood consumption at national level, the city should be importing more than the recorded supply figures. Therefore, the possible explanation for the huge difference is:

More wood comes into the city than is licensed, through loose guarding of roadblocks, or through unguarded routes.

4.1.2. Import of Wood Products

Currently in Eritrea, it can be said that there is virtually no timber trees left from the natural forest for construction, almost all sawn timber is imported. Around 31,400 cubic meters of sawn timber and semi-finished wood (wood based panels) is imported in average annually. The landed value of sawn wood is currently around US$ 216 per cubic meter. Matches are produced in Asmara from imported splints. Undoubtedly Eritrea has an expanding need for construction grade softwood timber, spurred by an expanding population and expectations of rapid development.

Table 8: Imported Wood Products in Quantity

Table 9: Imported Wood Products in Value (US$)

From 1995 to 1999, the imported value of wood products was US$ 58.5 million. Sawn wood shares the highest value i.e. 45% followed by wood-based panels, which constituted 30% of the imported wood products. Different paper products such as coated paper, wrapping + packing paper, printing + writing paper and household + sanitary paper share 22% of the total imported wood products. The lowest item imported was charcoal from the neighbouring countries and was less than 0.4%

In 1996 the imported wood products was the highest, i.e. a value of 18 million US$ (=30%) followed by 1997 which shares 21% of the total importation of wood products in the 5 years.

Aside from wood products, trees and shrubs also produce high value none wood forest products. Among others, the most important none wood forest products in Eritrea are Gum Arabic and Gum olibanum (Table-4). Gum Arabic, which is obtained from Acacia senegal is one of the most important none wood forest products in the western lowlands of Eritrea. The Sudanese, in the early of 1950’s introduced the business of Gum Arabic collection in Eritrea. However, due to the long drawn out liberation war, the exploitation of gum is minimal.

Boswellia papyrifera, which produce Gum Olibanum (Frankincense), is found in the western lowlands in areas called Berakit, Zaide Kolom, Arewai, Tsebab, Jengeren, Mesehalit, Shilalo, Augaro and Adi-Tseser. Tapping and collection of Gum Olibanum started in 1925 by the Somali people and eventually transferred this knowledge to the local people

Table 10: Major None Wood Forest Products

If properly developed, exports of non-forest products especially gum Arabic and gum olibanum could enable the country to earn valuable foreign exchange. At its peak in exportation of gum Arabic, the country obtained in 1995 US$ 2,050,568 (Table 11).

The trend in the last 5 years was going up and down to the production level which correlates with the amount of rainfall, as the source of these products are naturally grown acacia senegal and boswellia papyrifera respectively, which don’t benefit from supplementary irrigation.

Table 11: Export Earnings from Sales of Natural gums (Gum Arabic) in US$

Table 12: Total Exports Earnings from Sales of Incenses

Source: Department of Inland Revenue of the Ministry of Finance