KAWA MULTIMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
Logging, transportation and marketing.
Wood is mainly produced by large companies, but small producers also contribute a small percentage of the total output. The cutting of trees is selective, only trees which yield quality timber are cut.
The cut trees are then trimmed and hauled out by tractors and by hand to collection points along the rivers. Here logs are rolled into the water, lashed together in huge rafts, and either rowed or pulled down –stream by tugboats to one of the seventeen plywood and timber dressing mills along the River Ogoue. Port Gentil is the most important plywood-exporting centre. Besides, a new port called Owendo, north of Libreville has been constructed to meet the increasing demand.
Logs awaiting transportation
Timber is exported through port Gentil. The marketing of forest products is done by the African co-operative Agency of Equatorial woods of which Gabon is a member. Most of the wood is exported to European countries.
Until recently, forest exploitation has been confined to the coastal zone where togs-were floated down river Ogooue and its tributaries to port Gentil. This coastal area ha» been referred to as the first felling zone and it has got exhausted of its timber. Companies have thus extended their activities to the interior where 20 million hectares of forest had remained untouched. This is now known as the second felling zone.
The exhausted timberlands close to the coast have already been replanted with me Okoume tree. The only problem with this tree is that it has a long" gestation period which ranges from 50 to 60 years. Therefore, reafforestation might not yield quick results to support the country's timber trade.
Wood extraction in the interior has been made possible by the construction of Port Owendo and the Trans-Gabon Railway line which feeds it. Transportation along water ways in the interior is counteracted by rapids. Moreover River Ogooue is too long and winding. These two factors have made railways transport indispensably necessary. In some places road transport is being used to transport logs and timber.
Quite a large volume of Gabon's wood exports are still in form of logs. However, tireless efforts are being made to add more value to the country's exports. So far 17 plywood and timber dressing mills have been developed along the lower River Ogooue. The ply wood factory at Port Gentil is the largest mill in Gabon and also one of the biggest exporters of ply wood in the world. Unfortunately, it has never worked at its fall capacity level.
At Port Gentil the African Co-operative Agency of Equatorial woods- handles all exports, which go largely to countries of the European Economic Community (E.E.C.). The remainder is taken by the United states and other countries of western Europe. Another giant saw mill has been constructed at Kango and this will enable the country to process over half of its wood before it is exported.
The cut trees are then trimmed and hauled out by tractors and by hand to collection points along the rivers. Here logs are rolled into the water, lashed together in huge rafts, and either rowed or pulled down –stream by tugboats to one of the seventeen plywood and timber dressing mills along the River Ogoue. Port Gentil is the most important plywood-exporting centre. Besides, a new port called Owendo, north of Libreville has been constructed to meet the increasing demand.
Logs awaiting transportation
Timber is exported through port Gentil. The marketing of forest products is done by the African co-operative Agency of Equatorial woods of which Gabon is a member. Most of the wood is exported to European countries.
Until recently, forest exploitation has been confined to the coastal zone where togs-were floated down river Ogooue and its tributaries to port Gentil. This coastal area ha» been referred to as the first felling zone and it has got exhausted of its timber. Companies have thus extended their activities to the interior where 20 million hectares of forest had remained untouched. This is now known as the second felling zone.
The exhausted timberlands close to the coast have already been replanted with me Okoume tree. The only problem with this tree is that it has a long" gestation period which ranges from 50 to 60 years. Therefore, reafforestation might not yield quick results to support the country's timber trade.
Wood extraction in the interior has been made possible by the construction of Port Owendo and the Trans-Gabon Railway line which feeds it. Transportation along water ways in the interior is counteracted by rapids. Moreover River Ogooue is too long and winding. These two factors have made railways transport indispensably necessary. In some places road transport is being used to transport logs and timber.
Quite a large volume of Gabon's wood exports are still in form of logs. However, tireless efforts are being made to add more value to the country's exports. So far 17 plywood and timber dressing mills have been developed along the lower River Ogooue. The ply wood factory at Port Gentil is the largest mill in Gabon and also one of the biggest exporters of ply wood in the world. Unfortunately, it has never worked at its fall capacity level.
At Port Gentil the African Co-operative Agency of Equatorial woods- handles all exports, which go largely to countries of the European Economic Community (E.E.C.). The remainder is taken by the United states and other countries of western Europe. Another giant saw mill has been constructed at Kango and this will enable the country to process over half of its wood before it is exported.