2. Current Status of National Forestry Statistics Related to Wood Products.

Due to inadequate finances, data pertaining to wood and wood products is not collected regularly. The most recent study related to the use of the forest products was conducted by E. M. Taka in 1999. Below is the undated report in a form of a table summarising the fuel wood consumption per household in different locations by different consultants.

Table 1: Estimated fuel wood consumption/household in different locations

The above table does not show a clear correlation between different studies, which were carried out at similar locations but at different, times (years). What it does show however, is that fuel wood consumption at higher altitude is much higher than that of the low lands. It is not easy to use this table to project the present consumption.

The explanation, which could be given for this inconsistency/variation, is that some of the surveys were relatively local and included a few villages while others were carried out over several districts. Other factors, which could have contributed to this, are seasons when surveys were conducted, the local abundance of wood-fuel and differences in altitude and temperature.

Another equally important study was carried out by Runze in 1993. This study was specifically focusing on the extent of the government forest reserves and the changes (either positive or negative) since 1973 when the government started establishing woodlots mainly for the production of fuel wood and poles. Appendix) illustrates these changes to-date. The importance of this study is that it provides a relatively clear inside regarding the type and quantity of products, which can be derived from the forests of Lesotho.

As it has already been mentioned in Chapter One, the most important wood product are fuel wood and poles. Although these products are commonly used in Lesotho, data pertaining to their use in terms of quantities is almost impossible to obtain, particularly in the case where these products are obtained and utilised by the rural communities from their own communal woodlands.

The table below shows the value and volume of fuel wood produced from the government woodlots and sold at the three strategically place sales yards in Lesotho.

Table 2: Volume of wood sold and revenue accrued from wood sales yards

YEAR
	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Wood Sales Yards
Maseru	M23,810.23	M4,459.65	M28,262.9	M32,328
M/ Hoek	M 943.26	M3,296.67	M5,556.9	M3,672.6
Leribe	M43,814.20	M78,772.7	M63,167.5	M47,242.9
Total expressed Cubic metres @ 23M/m3	2981.2m3	3762.13m3	4216.8m3	3619.3m3

The second products, which is also produced and sold locally by the Government, are poles. However, the deficit is supplemented by the imports from the Republic of South Africa.

The table below shows the quantity and revenue accrued from the sale of poles, which are imported and sold by the private entrepreneurs.

Table 3: Poles imported and sold by private entrepreneurs

The table below shows the quantity of fencing posts produced and sold in the three strategically places sales yards.

Table 4: Quantity of poles produced in the government sales yards

All sawn timber that is used locally is imported from the Republic of South Africa.

2.1. The Existing Methodologies for Data Collection

With regards to the wood products which are produced by the government, the method of data collection is through reports which are submitted to the forestry Head Quarters every month. These reports cover the following; the reporting month, year, the number of poles in their different sizes, the number of bags of cut and split fuel wood and the revenue collected.

If a compartment is due for harvesting, a hundred percent inventory is carried out to determine how much wood there is to be removed. Immediately after felling, all the trees which are suitable for poles production are then removed, cut to different sizes and then measured again in order to determine the quantity. This information is also not always easy to capture because the exercise is carried out by two officers namely the district forester who always sells untreated poles to the rural communities. Unfortunately, it appears clear that this officer does not report directly to Forestry Head Quarters but to the District Agriculture Officer who also does not report to the CFO at Forestry Head Quarters.

Regarding the wood that is sold by individuals and communities, this information is not captured anywhere because there is no law in this country which obliges the communities and individuals to submit a report to any authority regarding the forest resource which they had utilised. This information is therefore in most cases lost.

Data pertaining to wood products, which are imported by traders, is submitted to the Bureau of statistics through Customs and Excise Department.

At present there is unfortunately no systematic method which wood products data can filter through to the Department of Conservation, Forestry and Land Use Planning. To update this data an officer has to be assigned to go out and undertake this exercise.

The compilation of data regarding the imported forest resources is done by the Customs and Excise Department. After refining this data into useful information, it is then submitted to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and to the Bureau of Statistics where it is further analysed and published

Data that is collected and kept by the Forestry Division especially on the Government managed forests is compiled and analysed by the Planning Section within the Forestry Division as a draft. After circulating it for comments within the division, it is then submitted to the CFOs office for approval. This report can then be accessed by all relevant institutions and organisations such as FAO, SADC, government departments and ministries such as the Department of Energy, Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry and NGOs.

These ministries do not deal directly with forest products but they are involved in the afforestation activities with the objective of producing the vital forest product for Lesotho, which is fuel-wood in most cases.

Ministry of Environment, Gender and Youth Affairs and National Environment Secretariat;

This is the overriding co-ordinator of all environment-linked activities, including those of indigenous forests, trees, shrubs and man made forests.

Ministry of local Government

It has the control function under the Land Act of all land for indigenous forests, trees and shrubs and afforestation programmes as well as forestry planning under the Town and Country Planning Act. They also control communally owned plantations on land not allocated under the Land Act as well as areas falling under the Liremo.

Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Field Services

Has the primary responsibility for forestry extension and social forestry development through the Unified Extension Service in the districts. Most of the FD’s former staff was transferred to this department.

Ministry of Natural Resources, Department of Energy

It carries out an in-depth study into energy consumption in Lesotho, following which a Lesotho Energy Maser Plan (LEMP) was drawn up. The use of trees and shrubs, crop residues and dung as fuel was by this department for the nations consumption.

Non Governmental Organisations

There are numerous organizations (NGOs) which are also involved in addressing the problem of fuel-wood scarcity in Lesotho by way of establishing woodlots and patches of trees for both communities and individuals such as LHDA which works in collaboration with the government line ministries which are responsible for all natural resources management and the blocks of trees and woodlots around Katse Area. Others are Lesotho Red Cross, World Vision, Lesotho Durham Link and Care International (Lesotho).

The most important wood products produced consumed and traded are fuel wood and poles.

Lesotho has very little small scale wood products industries. BEDCO Furniture, with branches at Mafeteng, Maseru and Leribe specializes in office furniture, household furniture and school desks. Masianokeng Brooms manufactures specializes with brooms mainly for export. The material that is used by these two companies is however, imported from The Republic of South Africa.