Turning Trees to Timber

A chainsaw demonstration/training course

Incorporating:- chainsaw safety, use and maintenance

- chainsaw milling equipment and techniques- timber drying and marketing

Kaguru Farmers’ Training Centre, Meru, Kenya

6-7 February 2006

Organised by ICRAF (Kenya) and HDRA (UK)

Funded by DFID-FRP (UK) and VVOB (Belgium)

NM Pasiecznik and S Carsan

March 2006

Nick Pasiecznik

International Development ProgrammeHDRA – the Organic Organisation

Ryton Organic GardensCoventry CV8 3LG

UK

npasiecznik@wanadoo.fr+ 33 (0)3 85 54 68 26

Sammy Carsan

Trees and Markets ProgramICRAF – the World Agroforestry Centre

United Nations Avenue, GigiriPO Box 30677-00100, Nairobi

Kenya

s.carsan@cgiar.org+ 254 (0)733 851611

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are due to the organisers, Sallyannie Muhoro, staff at ICRAF’s Meru office, and the Principal and staff of Kaguru Farmers’ Training Centre, also to James Onchieku and George Muthike from KEFRI’s Forest Products Resource Centre for their technical support. The course was funded by the Forestry Research Programme of DFID, UK, with complementary financial support obtained from the Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance (VVOB) kindly arranged by Roeland Kindt at ICRAF. Thanks also to Tony Simons for allowing the use of ICRAF staff time and other resources.

The course would not have been possible without the exceptional input from the principle trainers, notably Mark Brewer who worked tirelessly in felling and milling the demonstration Grevillea robusta tree over two days, and Clemens Fehr and John Samuels for their consistent support throughout and by added their extensive experience at relevant moments, especially in chainsaw use and timber drying and marketing.

This publication is an output from a research project funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID. R8510 Forestry Research Programme.

Disclaimer

Chainsaws are dangerous and potentially fatal and this must be acknowledged by all users. This demonstration/ training course delivered information and best practice recommendations based on sources believed to be reliable. It was made clear that this was supplied without obligation and on the understanding that any person who acts on it, or otherwise changes their position in reliance thereon, does so entirely at their own risk.

Further information

This demonstration/ training course was based on the book ‘Turning Trees to Timber: A Chainsaw Milling Manual’ by Pasiecznik NM, Brewer MCM, Fehr C and Samuel JH. HDRA, Coventry, UK. 2006. Accompanying this book there is also a set of 8 wall posters intended for use in similar training courses, based on those used during the course.

The training manual and posters are available in English, French and Spanish, and can be downloaded along with other outputs from this project, from www.hdra.org.uk/international_programme/ip_publications following links to Research Outputs, or directly from http://chainsaw.gwork.org/. Limited printed copies are also available by writing to Chainsaw Milling Publications, HDRA, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK.

Any feedback on the contents or use of the manual or posters would be greatly appreciated by the author and publishers.

For further information about training or demonstration courses on chainsaw milling, contact a government forestry official who may be able to assist in training needs. Alternatively, contact Mark Brewer at mgc (www.mg-c.com) for information on chainsaw and sawmill training, Nick Pasiecznik (npasiecznik@wanadoo.fr) or Sammy Carsan (s.carsan@cgiar.org).

Contents

Overview of timber production around Meru

Introduction to the course

Programme summary

Day 1 – 6 February

Day 2 – 7 February

Figures 1-18

General feedback

Appendix 1. Participants

Appendix 2. Proposal resulting from the two demonstration/training courses

Appendix 3. Opening ceremony remarks. Maurice O. Abuto, District Forest Officer. Meru Central

Appendix 4. Challenges of small-scale sawmilling industry in Kenya and opportunities for its improvement. James Onchieku, KEFRI, Kenya

Overview of timber production around Meru

Meru Central is classified as a high potential zone, with tea, coffee, cotton, cereals, dairy and horticulture farming common. Mean annual rainfall is 2600 mm in the upper highlands, and 500 mm in the lower altitude dry areas, with a mean altitude of around 2000 masl. Before 1980, timber came from the natural forests on the slopes of Mt Kenya, cut by pitsaws and increasingly by static circular sawmills which became established in numbers, and later with the introduction of mobile, tractor powered circular saw ‘bench saws’. Chainsaws also began appearing from the early 1980s for felling and to a limited extent for milling. This situation continued with little change until the 1999 Forestry Bill outlawed harvesting from natural forests.

This changed everything. Many of the large static sawmills were forced to close down due to a lack of trees. It also became immediately apparent that if trees were not to come from the forest, they could come from the farm, as the district was densely populated with large size trees, mainly grevillea (Grevillea robusta) but also cypress (Cupressus lusitanica) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus saligna). Indigenous timber tree species also common on farm here include: Vitex keniensis (Meru oak) and Cordia africana, many of which had been planted before Kenyan independence.

A substantial amount of greveillea was also planted during extension related projects in the 1980s, e.g. the extensive EMI project which planted all the roadside grevillea in the region. Grevillea and eucalypts were also promoted for shade in the coffee and tea zone respectively. Many of the indigenous species are also found to be remnants of natural forest species, though had never before been considered as a source of timber due to the readily available timber trees from the natural forests. Whereas some static sawmills continued to exist, bringing in on farm trees as round wood for milling, the exploitation of on farm trees appears to have favoured portable milling, as many mobile circular saws sprang up, exclusively of the tractor towed and powered ‘bench saw’ type mills.

Increased harvesting of farm trees occurred in the years immediately following the 1999 presidential moratorium of forest logging, Currently, over harvesting is common and is referred as ‘timber mining’ by some, to make up for the shortfall in supply. Many of the larger sized trees accessible by tractor have been felled and milled, leaving millers, dealers and brokers to go further a field. The reason for the sawmillers to seek other material farther is also as a result of price increases and awareness in the nearer/more accessible locations.

Larger trees are now more likely to be found in valley bottoms and other inaccessible areas, and the chainsaw miller found himself a role. Such trees are felled and milled by chainsaw either into boards for immediate sale, or into slabs for carrying out and re-sawing by bench saw, either at the nearest point a tractor can reach, or at a yard or other collection point where the slabs remain until a buyer comes and specifies the dimensions required.

Chainsaw milled timber is of generally poor quality around Meru, with those using such operators having to insist on much larger dimensions to be cut than those required to allow for the excessive planing that is required to obtain a consistent thickness and acceptable finish. Poor quality of chainsaw milled timber is variously explained as being due to chainsaw operators being unskilled, part time, lacking the required experience, or from drinking alcohol while milling to overcome the fatigue.

From the point of view of the producer, i.e. the farmers themselves, ‘the farmer never wins’. Inadequate market information for agricultural crops and declining prices for commodity crops, especially coffee, have forced many farmers into situations when they are in dire need of money, such as for school fees, hospital fees, weddings, funerals, etc. Trees are a ready investment providing a source of instant income.

However, buyers, whether individual end users, timber dealers or brokers, are aware of their precarious financial situation and their lack of better tree valuation techniques and market access. In these instances, buyers exploit this to their financial advantage by obtaining a price for standing trees that is below the actual market value. The prevalence of timber brokers, i.e. those that buy standing trees and sell them on still standing, is a prime example of this. The single most commonly heard view from farmers regarding their trees concerns valuation, and that they feel that they rarely, if ever, receive a reasonable price. This is a situation forced upon them because they lack financial capital and skills in assessing the value of their trees in terms of volume, quality and adequate market information.

Little or no value adding is undertaken for trees obtained from farms. Farmers rarely have the timber milled themselves for sale. Negotiations over price will include whether the buyer takes the firewood as well as the logs, and prices can be extremely variable depending on the immediacy of cash need, tree quality and species (indigenous sp costs more!) valuation knowledge of the farmer, accessibility, and what might be termed ‘personal ownership’, meaning whether they have grown and tended it themselves or see it as a ‘free gift’ planted by previous owners or generations. Timber prices are relatively high in Kenya at present due to the shortage in supply, however, little of this is coming back to the primary producer – the farmer. The farmer may be approached by one of several types of buyers.

The first is the private individual, perhaps a neighbour, extended family member or other person who requires timber for a certain project such as building a house, who then hires a chainsaw operator alone or a chainsaw and bench saw in combination, to mill the trees into the desired dimensions, which is relatively common. Perhaps also in this category are also some other larger corporate users e.g tea factories, schools, hospitals which fell largely on farm mainly for firewood. Cases of timber quality trees being felled for firewood are common. Intermediaries may be used to source the wood.

The second is a timber ‘dealer’ (which means that they also own some form of sawmill), who buys the standing tree and either mills the tree on site with their own bench saw, hires one in, or takes the logs away to a static sawmill, selling the sawn timber on to end users or other dealers.

The third is a timber ‘broker’, who buys and sells the tree standing, making profit without any physical effort, and often offers the lowest prices to farmers, but they may also be called ‘tree finders’ who are hired by either of the first two groups to locate trees and negotiate the cheapest price.

Increasing the financial benefits to farmers from the production and sale of farm trees may follow one or more of a number of routes. The way most often stated is to avail to farmers market information on the current value of standing trees, per species, volume and quality, so allowing them to obtain a better price, even in the face of their immediate economic needs. Techniques on mensuration and valuation would also help bargain for better prices.

However, an alternative means would be whereby farmers could organise primary processing themselves, either by hiring contract sawmillers to process the trees, or by hiring the equipment and milling themselves, then selling the sawn timber on, either to timber yards or directly to end users. If processing themselves, that farmers often state the lack of resources as one reason for not doing so, means that chainsaw milling appears a more appropriate method due to its low capital cost and simplicity of operation. Contractual arrangements could also suffice for corporate buyers even though currently shy.

Introduction to the course

The demonstration/training programme was conceived as part of the research project, ‘The potential of chainsaw milling for improving rural livelihoods’ funded by the Forestry Research Programme of UK government’s Department for International Development (project R8510). This aimed to undertake a global review on the role of chainsaw milling outside forests in tropical regions and undertake a stakeholder analysis to elucidate ‘when chainsaw milling makes sense’ using East Africa and specifically Kenya as a case study. Project outputs are to include a technical chainsaw milling manual and supporting posters, a summary report on the case studies and review, policy briefs, popular articles and a committed website.

Two back-to-back demonstration/training courses were organised in Kenya, to ‘test’ the draft manual and posters, and to allow the project team to discuss project issues, activities and outputs directly with stakeholders, both intermediate and end users. The first training course, organised by KEFRI and HDRA was held at The Family Centre, Marigat, Baringo on 1-4 February, and is reported separately. The second was organised by ICRAF and HDRA and was held at the Kaguru Farmers’ Training Centre, Meru, 6-7 February, which is reported here. The two courses had different emphases due to the very different environmental, developmental problems and different trainee interests in target locations. Some aspects were however common and are highlighted. A short seminar detailing aspects of the training was given by Nick Pasiecznik at ICRAF headquarters on 10 February.

The programme was initially divided into two distinct days, the first day comprising of a series of lectures with a demonstration of felling and milling to an invited audience. The second day was an ‘open day’, event with a series of demonstrations and talks. Due to the high demand for ‘seeing is believing’, practical demonstrations took up most of both days, with talks often being conducted in the field alongside the actual splitting of logs and timber (see a complete programme appendix). The open day was widely advertised by means of personal contacts and posters which were prominently displayed. A total of 31 trainees attended the two-day course (see Appendix 1), of which approximately half were timber processors, i.e. chainsaw owners and/or operators, a quarter were timber producers, i.e. farmers, and the remaining quarter were agricultural extension workers. An additional 30 people were estimated to have attended the open day.

Feedback was recorded both formally at the end of each day, and informally through conversions throughout the course, and especially towards the end of day 2 (see General feedback). A final workshop evaluation noted the desire from all trainees for further training from both courses have been transformed into a draft proposal aiming to meet this demand (see Appendix 2).

Programme summary

Day 1 – 6 February09.30 - Introduction and formal opening (Mr Mugambi, MoA, representing the DAO, Meru)10.00 - Small scale sawmilling in Kenya and opportunities for improvement (James Onchieku, KEFRI)11.00 - Introduction to chainsaw safety, use, maintenance and milling (Nick Pasiecznik, HDRA)11.30 - Turning trees to timber I, demonstration of felling, delimbing and cross cutting (Mark Brewer, HDRA)12.30 - Correct fuel mixtures and chainsaw maintenance, discussion (Mark Brewer, et al)13.00 - Lunch14.00 - Managing trees for timber (Roeland Kindt, ICRAF)14.30 - Turning trees to timber II, demonstration of frame milling (Mark Brewer, HDRA)16.00 - Turning trees to timber III, demonstration of rail milling (Mark Brewer, et al)18.00 - Close

Day 2 – 7 February09.30 - Introduction and remarks (Sammy Carsan, ICRAF)09.45 - Chainsaws in Kenya (Paul Njuguna, Min. of Water & Irrigation))10.00 - Smallholder timber (film, ICRAF)10.15 - Timber production in Kenya and ways forward (Maurice Abuto, DFO Meru Central)11.00 - Demonstration of frame and rail milling to produce edged timber (Mark Brewer, John Samuel, Clemens Fehr)12.00 - Milling trial with ‘local’ chainsaw with depth gauges removed, discussion (Mark Brewer, Jamlick Mbaabu)13.30 - Chain types and filing methods (Mark Brewer)14.00 - Lunch15.00 - Timber stacking, seasoning and marketing (John Samuel)16.00 - Feedback session, conclusions (Sammy Carsan)16.45 - Closing remarks (Prof. Kaburu, KMU)17.00 - Meeting of trainers, facilitators and extensionists on lessons learnt and ways forward18.00 - Close

Day 1 – 6 February

Opening remarks from the deputy District agricultural officer Ministry of Agriculture noted that man continues to alter the world around him and the chainsaw is too commonly seen as an enemy of the environment, being involved as it is in the felling of trees, and now more often, in the milling of trees into timber. It is hoped that this course will begin to reverse this trend and put chainsaw use and users in a new light. There is also significant pressure to move agriculture and agroforestry from a subsistence level to a commercial footing, and that we need to add value to the wood component in order to help achieve this. Demand and pressure on land continues, so land needs to be managed better and more sustainably. The Ministry of Agriculture will assist ICRAF in disseminating the outputs of this project and lessons learnt from this training course. The course coordinator adds that this is the first course he has seen on chainsaws, as this is a subject most would prefer to avoid talking about, due the negative connotations just described.

The workshop objectives were further shared with the participants:1. To share experiences on the current status of chainsaw milling in Kenya2. To demonstrate useful techniques in sawmill operations3. To learn improved tree management techniques4. To demonstrate timber storage, drying and marketing operations

The present situation of the sawmilling industry in Kenya and opportunities for improvement was excellently reviewed by James Onchieku of KEFRI. This began by an analysis of the current number of sawmills nationwide, and the potential, based on numbers before the logging ban. These were divided into large (>5000 m3/yr), medium (2-5000 m3/yr) and small (<2000 m3/yr), although whether mobile bench saws (at e.g. 2-500 m3/yr) were included as small sawmills was not clear, and chainsaw milling operations (at <200 m3/yr) were clearly not. Recovery rates were also provided, approximating to 40% for large sawmills, 30% for medium sawmills and 25% for small sawmills, though other studies have indicated recovery rates of 30-40% for bench saws and chainsaw milling.

The challenges and constraints were identified as socio-economic, technical, logistical and legislative. These were identified, related to the stage of production; harvesting and logging, primary processing, conversion and quality control, and marketing and utilisation. Options for improvement were noted, with the main recommendations being; training of farmers on tree management, training of chainsaw/sawmill operators, and improvements in the quality and maintenance of machinery.

An introduction to the issue of chainsaw safety, use, maintenance and milling was given by Nick Pasiecznik. A rapid assessment of the level of accidents was ascertained, with many trainees stating examples of others who had had accidents, some severe, and personal stories of cuts, principally to legs and feet, some requiring hospitalisation. Others noted accidents caused during tree felling, with one man being killed only the previous week when a tree he was helping to fell landed on top of him. The correct safety equipment was demonstrated, and alternatives noted though not recommended, such as plastic sunglasses instead of a visor, cotton in the ears, shoes instead of bare feet and a large clean handkerchief in place of a first aid kit. Safe use of a chainsaw would be ably demonstrated by the team trainer over the two days. Maintenance was another issue highlighted, especially that of the incorrect fuel mixture being commonly used leading to excessive engine wear and unnecessary maintenance costs. The four chainsaw milling attachments to be demonstrated were displayed and their use and potential explained.

Participants then assembled in the field to watch the demonstration tree felling, debranching and cross cutting by Mark Brewer. He first introduced himself, his chainsaw (a Stihl MS066), safety equipment and other tools. The tree selected was very typical for the area, being a grevillea (Grevillea robusta), which makes up about 90% of all trees felled around Meru. It had been high pruned for fodder and firewood and was of poor form with a fork starting at about 2 m height. It was approximately 20 m tall, less than 20 m from a house, a road, electricity power lines, and a tree nursery. Such obstacles to be avoided are common with farm trees and standing crops may add to this list, with compensation often paid due to trees falling the wrong way. Commonly, ropes are attached and helpers pull the tree in the direction to be felled, but the ropes are rarely longer than the tree height causing accidents and a recent death in a nearby village.

Mark Brewer explained basic working safety, assessing risks and hazards, emergency procedures, preparing to fell, preparing an escape route, felling cuts and the use of the felling sights. The importance of cutting at ground level on timber recovery was stressed. The directional cut was made and the wedge removed before the back cut was made, and the use of homemade wooden wedges was demonstrated so no ropes were required. The tree was perfectly felled, and then the stump was shown to explain the correct hinge and wedge placement. Cutting height and recovery was re-emphasised. Debranching was then carried out using the lever method, to much appreciation as to how easy it looked. The tree was then cross cut to pre-determined lengths for milling. The coordinator explained, based on comments overheard from the trainees, that “that was the most awesome demonstration they have ever seen”.

Discussions followed, largely related to the issue of fuel mixtures that Nick Pasiecznik had raised in his introductory talk. Chainsaw owners and operators were unable to believe that the correct mix was 200 cl of 2-stroke oil per 5 litres of petrol, and not the 500 cl that they were generally using. The effects of adding two and half times the recommended amount of 2-stroke was explained, and confirmed by owners and operators by the frequency in which they were replacing pistons, i.e. several (up to 5) times a year, instead of about once every two years under normal use. The Stihl manual had to be shown to ‘prove’ that 1:25 was the correct mix, but still many could not believe it. Clemens Fehr estimated the cost of the additional and unnecessary 2-stroke oil used by an average operator at Ksh 1500 (US$21) per month in oil alone, the use of which also led to an equivalent cost in spares and repairs per month. Forcing home this point on its own could therefore save each chainsaw operator up to US$500 per year, with evident livelihood impacts.

After lunch, Roeland Kindt gave a presentation on managing trees for timber, explaining in clear detail the role of, and need for, good thinning and pruning. Whereas examples on thinning schedules were related to plantations, their relevance to farm forestry such as boundary plantings was made clear, and the effects on tree growth and timber quality was stressed. Correct pruning techniques were also clearly explained and shown, as were the effects of pruning young trees on the production of knot-free timber. It was explained that this information should be given in a form usable by agricultural extension workers so they can take the message out to farmers. However, it was stated that poorly pruned trees are not really an issue with sawmillers as there is no premium for knot-free timber.

The rest of the afternoon was taken up in the field, with demonstrations of chainsaw milling, first using the two frame mills, Granberg’s Alaskan Mark III and the Small Log Milling Attachment. These were carried out by Mark Brewer, with assistance from John Samuel, Clemens Fehr and Nick Pasiecznik as required. The homemade slabbing rails, made up in the morning from a few pieces of 4x2 (10 x 5 cm section timber) bought from a local sawmill, were exhibited, and placed over the first log to be milled. The chainsaw was attached to the Mark III, adjusted for depth, and the first slab was removed from the first 12 ft (3.8 m) log. An Oregon ripping chain with top plate angle of 14 degrees was used. The slab and rails were removed, the depth adjusted to one and a quarter inches (3 cm, for an inch board, 2.5 cm, when dried and planed), and several un-edged boards were cut (through and through), revealing the first ever Alaskan sawn Grevillea robusta in Kenya.

Many comments could be heard, that the cutting speed was low as compared to freehand sawing, and the sawdust was much finer, but all, without exception, remarked on the high quality of the finish, some saying it was remarkable, the same or better than a circular saw. It was said that such quality timber was perfect for furniture but not needed for construction timber, safety was improved, it being difficult to imagine an accident when using such an attachment, it was less tiring on the operator, and “where can I buy one from?”

The chainsaw was then detached from the Mark III and fixed to the Granberg Mini Mill, and used to demonstrate ‘turning firewood to timber’. It was used to edge one side of the 6 ft (1.9 m) butt log (below the fork) which might have otherwise been left as firewood. Once edged, the log was turned and re-sawn twice, then allowing for the milling of 6 ft x 2 ft (1.9 x 0.6 m) boards, “perfect for coffins” as one trainee commented. One of the side slabs was also turned on its back, and a further three one inch (2.5 cm) thick boards were sawn, showing how recovery on a whole tree basis could be hugely increased with the use of chainsaw milling attachments. Discussions continued on the merits and demerits of the technology, until the first day was closed.

Day 2 – 7 February

Opening remarks including a general introduction to the days activities were made by Sammy Carsan, followed by comments from Paul Njuguna on chainsaw operations and the timber industry in Kenya, explaining how chainsaw operators should feel proud of their contribution to the local and national economy, and not to feel like downtrodden individuals involved in marginal activities. This was well appreciated by the trainees. There then followed a short film by ICRAF called Smallholder Timber, with examples from around the world on how farmers were already making a significant contribution to global timber supplies, and that this was likely to increase greatly in years to come.

The District Forest Officer for Meru Central, Mr. Maurice Abuto, presented the current situation and ways forward for the timber sector in the country, with the Forest Department mandated to take the lead in issues related to trees and timber. Soon to become a parastatal, the Kenya Forest Service, will give incentives for farm forestry including tax breaks and direct payments, but harsher punishments for those that break the rules. The timber industry today is in a ‘chaotic state’ as demand outstrips supply, caused by the 1999 logging ban, though there is still much emphasis on conservation at the expense of management for production. Recommendations were made to maximise the benefits to producers (farmers); to make available market information, price guides and volume measures, to identify markets for specific forest products and put restrictions on ‘middlemen’. Chain saw milling was noted as the most commonly used method for felling and conversion at the farm level, however, key areas for improvement include: operator training, timber recovery, timber quality, operator safety, and equipment choice (see full presentation in appendix).

The second chainsaw milling demonstration saw the production of edged timber, using the Alaskan Mark III and slabbing rails to remove the first top slab, then the Mini Mill (vertical cut) to remove first one side slab and then the opposite side leaving a squared three-sided log without having to move it. The Mark III was then reset to two inches, to produce 8 inch (20 cm) wide square-edged cants for re-sawing later to desired dimensions using, say, a circular saw or bandsaw. After the first cut, board quality was observed. Then, one of the trainees attached his own chainsaw (a Husqvarna 272) with depth gauges removed from the chain as is usually practiced with freehand milling, to the Small Log Milling Attachment.

Mark Brewer opened the cut, with some difficulty, and Jamlick Mbaabu, the chainsaw owner, continued with similar difficulty. The chainsaw vibrated greatly, would ‘block’ frequently, although did cut quicker when a regular and suitably small pressure was applied. Clouds of black smoke were seen, resulting from the ‘usual’ 1:10 2-stroke to petrol mixture employed. On completion of the cut the finishes were compared, with a marked reduction in quality using the locally modified chain. The same operator then cut the next board using the Mark III with the MS066 and ripping chain, and was asked to compare. The improved board quality was evident, and although the cutting speed was slower, Jamlick Mbaabu said that he would be able to cut more boards per day with the unmodified chain as the reduced vibration meant that he could work longer hours before tiring. He also thought that he would be able to work for more years than if using the normal freehand milling techniques due to reduced operator fatigue.

An understanding of chain and cutter type was clearly lacking, and when a demand for more detail was received, Mark Brewer gave a field talk on the types of chain available and the advantages and disadvantages of each, including ripping chain and felling chain and chisel and chipper chains. Trainees and facilitators alike showed great interest in this information; many saying that they had never before understood that there were different types of chain. Trainees were also shocked to hear that Mark had only ever suffered one chain breaking in 25 years of chainsaw operation, when most of the trainees had several chains break every year, another symptom of poor chain maintenance. One notable feature concerned chain lubricant oil which is not at the moment available in the country and to which is more important when chainsaw milling with attachments.

After lunch, a demonstration of how to stack, season and air dry sawn timber was given by John Samuel, using all the boards and cants that had been sawn during the two days’ demonstrations, using chainsaw sawn bearers and a selection of stickers bought from a local sawmill. The stack was weighed down with side slabs from the earlier milling. This was accompanied by a talk on the subject of value addition, the need for seasoned timber in furniture manufacture, and different methods of marketing.

All participants returned to the hall for the final feedback session, which began with Alex Makinya, on behalf of the chainsaw operators, saying “that since I started in the chainsaw business some 10 years ago, no-one has ever showed me new tricks and techniques, and this is a first, to see how to best fell trees, sharpen and maintain power saws, new technologies for splitting (milling), improving recovery and storing timber” Other comments included:

“we will show people that we have learnt something new, and will go back to our places and tell others”, “we are the lowest people seen in our places, but now we are empowered”, “bring us more of these machines and we will make a difference”, “bring back Mark (the chainsaw trainer) to show us more”.

Closing remarks were given by Prof Kaburu, who said that in his whole life he had never seen such machines (chainsaw milling attachments) or even heard of them. It was only today that we learnt from Mark that teeth go this way or that way, even though we have known of and used power saws for so many years. After the first cuts on the first day, we heard “this takes too long”, “this will make us hungry” and “thus won’t go anywhere”, which I knew was judging the technology too early. Then by this afternoon we heard different comments, with people saying that it is good, and they can see the benefits in some places.

Not one person in this room had seen such equipment before, and now we have learnt what we can do with it. We have already learnt how to plant trees, manage our trees and now how to make the most of our trees. Power saws are the most popular and unpopular machines, popular because they are quick and efficient, and unpopular because every time you hear one ‘sing’ you know that there is one tree less in the world. Now we will try our best not to keep a secret and to share this new knowledge. Certificates of attendance were then handed out, with several trainees saying they had never in their lives received a certificate, and felt proud.

Following the formal close of the course, selected participants (trainers, facilitators and eight extensionists) were requested by the coordinator to remain behind for a further debriefing session and discussion on how best to take forward lessons learnt. The first point was that such training would be best given to chainsaw owners and owner operators, and not to chainsaw operators. The question of the appropriate target group for the ‘chainsaw with attachment technology’ was discussed as the needs will fragment with market demand. Currently, operators hire chain saw for splitting construction timber and quality is not an issue, as they are paid by the running foot, speed is of the essence and recovery is not an issue either. It was observed that furniture shops will perhaps in addition appreciate chain sawmilling with attachments due to the resultant quality of the wood.

There was also a fear, however, of further deforestation if this technology is widely adopted. Further training is essential, but next time, target end users such as furniture makers who demand quality. A recent survey in the area identified 280 furniture shops, and there is market for quality timber. Also, target chainsaw owners, timber dealers and investors who would be more interested in chainsaw milling attachments. Tree felling and chainsaw maintenance are very important for these groups also, though they might not understand the technical details, they would understand the financial benefits. Operators would, however, still benefit greatly from further training on health and safety aspects of chainsaw use.

Some of the extensionists noted how they could invite some of the trainees to farmer group meetings to share their experiences. An incentive to increased recovery and maximising value-added could be achieved through parallel advances in training farmers in how to value their trees and having better market information. If farmers can demand higher and more realistic prices for their trees, then the sawmillers, timber dealer or brokers will have to pay more, which will provide the incentive to make the most from each tree. This course should not end here, but should continue, to teach chainsaw users more about correct felling techniques and safety aspects and save lives. It was agreed that further training should concentrate on basic safety, maintenance, use and felling for operators, mills and milling and drying techniques for chainsaw owners, timber dealers and end users. Further training material were also requested. The meeting was closed, with Nick Pasiecznik agreeing to prepare a draft proposal for a further training programme (see Appendix 2).

General feedback

The following comments were recorded during informal interviews with chainsaw owners, operators and owner operators during the final afternoon.

Feedback on demonstrations of chainsaw safety, use and maintenance The workshop is very important for chainsaw operators to learn new techniques on sawing, maintenance,

sharpening, seasoning wood and safety equipment. Intends to try to adopt the methods observed. Very interested in the skilled chainsaw use and felling methods. Very interesting to learn about chainsaw maintenance such as chain sharpening and the correct fuel mixture. Would like to have more training on using the chainsaw safely, as I bought a chainsaw and taught myself how

to use it, but would like to learn properly. There is no training available to farmers on the use of chainsaws so it is very interesting to have good

techniques demonstrated. Would like more information on the different types of chainsaws available and chainsaw maintenance. Interested in the trainer’s method and posture “he can work all day without getting tired or hurting his back”. The trainer has such good posture, and I will now try imitating his felling and snedding methods. Want to buy safety clothing but not available in Kenya, though being shown safe chainsaw use is helpful.

Feedback on chainsaw milling Would like to have a chainsaw mill if they were available. Very interesting, very impressed by the quality of boards produced as compared to freehand milling Slower than freehand, but could be worth it if there was a market for the higher quality products. Very good. Good quality finish and safe for the operator. But they are not available in Kenya. The mill would be most useful in a timber yard – they would take the log there and then use the mill there. Freehand is much faster, but the quality is not as good. The mills cut very slowly. We know how to change the acceleration to go faster through knots. The quality is too good for roofing, but maybe suitable for furniture makers. The mills produce much higher quality timber, but we go much faster freehand. Thinks that it may only be slower than freehand because Mark is demonstrating, and if they practice and

become skilled, they will be as fast as cutting freehand, but they could not be certain until they see more demonstration and had a go themselves.

Other people are saying that it wastes time, but the extra recovery means that the extra time is worthwhile. Trainee with a chainsaw and bandsaw would use the mill to cut logs into manageable slabs, but finish them

with the bandsaw. One trainee with a chainsaw will retire soon, and wants to learn about chainsaw milling to pass onto his

children so they can get a good income. Milling attachments are too slow – they may work for some farmers but not for those that need to get the job

done fast and collect the money. Doesn’t think that the farmers would pay more for a better quality finish. Chainsaw milling uses more fuel than freehand. Freehand can get 100-120 running feet for 5l of petrol. The quality is worth more, would like to try using the mill. Using the mill would save money on planing. Chainsaw mills would be very useful for inaccessible areas such as slopes. A freehand chainsaw operator of 15 years noted how he is very skilled and experienced so can cut very straight

slabs, but mills can get very good results even for in-experienced users. A suggestion was made to make a winch to pull the chainsaw and mill along the log. Mills could be useful, but would need to get a profitable balance between the slower speed and increased

recovery rate. I have the money but such mills are not available in Kenya. If I could buy one tomorrow I would!

Comments on future workshops/ training/ information/ activities Very happy to have come to this open day, and would like to have more open days and training with more

demonstration and particularly more opportunities for participation. There are many chainsaw operators who did not come to this workshop. If there was another workshop there

would be no need to advertise. I would tell them about it. More workshops are needed to improve technology, training and increase the efficiency of saw users. The manufacturers need to make the materials available; the mills, the tools, the safety equipment. There has never been any training for chainsaw operators. We want to have regular training to remind us what

we have learned. We have seen how to use all of this equipment, but now need to be able to buy it.

Appendix 1. Participants

Trainees

Name Profession Address Telephone/email

Thomas Koome Igweta Chainsaw operator PO Box 6, Meru 0724 532839

John Muthuri Kinyua Chainsaw operator PO Box 34, Igoji 0735 124393

Peter Kiriathe Chainsaw operator PO Box 127, Igoji 0733 520913

Elias Kirimi Chainsaw operator PO Box 99, Igoji 0723 855114

Anthony Kinoti Mwiadi Chainsaw operator PO Box 26, Igoji 0724 26911

Alex Mutwiri Makinya Chainsaw owner operator PO Box 657, Meru 0723 249214

Fredrick Mutembei Chainsaw owner operator PO Box 88, Meru 0733 520913

Jamlick Mbaabu Chainsaw owner operator PO Box 456, Nkubu 064 51207

Emmanuel Mutethia Chainsaw owner PO Box 1028, Meru 0722 933379

Douglas Mwiti Chainsaw owner PO Box 74, Kaguru

Edwin Nyaga Kagondu Chainsaw owner PO Box 45, Kanja, Embu 0734 568868

Eliud Gitonga Chainsaw owner PO Box 456, Nkubu 064 51207

David K Mugambi Chainsaw owner, metalworker and artisan

PO Box 627, Maua 0734 662954

Daniel Mwenda Benchsaw/chainsaw owner PO Box 886, Meru 0724 626505

William Mwenda Sawmill operator PO Box 96, Kaguru

Julius Koome M’Muthamia Farmer PO Box 187, Meru

Nathan Ncebere Farmer PO Box 703, Meru 0720 461549

Benson Kimathi Farmer PO Box 116, Meru 0720 10440

James Maingi Farmer PO Box 1028, Meru 0720 326468

Denis Mubichi Farmer PO Box 1101, Meru

Ezra Kirimi M’Ikiara Farmer PO Box 514, Meru

L. M. Matheri Agriculturalist PO Box 62, Maua

Michael Musee Agriculturalist PO Box 62, Maua 064 21455/ 0733 442810

John Mwalimu Organic agriculture trainer PO Box 443, Meru

Samuel Nabea Agricultural extensionist Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 467, Meru

0735 947404

Andrew Muita Warui Agricultural extensionist Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 2995 Meru

0733 962007

Joseph Mbaabu Jason Agricultural extensionist Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 12 Meru

064 510410735 226880

Willy Macharia Agricultural extensionist Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 6,2 Maua

0734 7075150720 410127

Humphrey Mutegi Mathai Agricultural Officer Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 12, Meru

0725 418850

Prof. Kaburu M’Ribu Professor of Agriculture Kenya Methodist University,PO Box 267, Meru

064 30301/ 0721 246486agric@kemu.ac.ke

H. Mutoiri Kithusi Councilor PO Box 390, Maua

Trainers

Name Role Address Telephone/email

Mark Brewer Chainsaw trainer mgc, 25 Chelston Av, Hove, Sussex BN3 5SR, UK

+44 1273 410339markbrewer3@btinternet.com

John Samuel Sawmilling, drying and marketing

2 Gelding St, Dulwich Hill, Sydney NSW 2203, Australia

+61 2 95607813johnhsamuel@yahoo.com

Clemens Fehr Chainsaw milling and marketing

Gourmet Gardens, PO Box 70066, Kampala, Uganda

+256 77 481158fehringels@utlonline.co.ug

Nick Pasiecznik Chainsaw milling project manager

HDRA, Ryton Gardens, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK

+33 3 85546826npasiecznik@wanadoo.fr

Sammy Carsan Course coordinator ICRAF, Gigiri, PO Box 30677 Nairobi:

020 7224266s.carsan@cgiar.org

Roland Kindt Tree management ICRAF, Gigiri, PO Box 30677 Nairobi:

020 7224000r.kindt@cgiar.org

James Onchieku Wood processing KEFRI, Karura, PO Box 30241-00100, Nairobi

020 3761063jmonchieku@yahoo.com

Facilitators/ support staff

Name Role Address Telephone/email

George Muthike Researcher KEFRI, Karura, PO Box 30241-00100, Nairobi

0722 345405 muthikegm@yahoo.com

Paul Njuguna Forester Ministry of Water and Irrigation, PO Box 49720, Nairobi

020 2720047 njugunapmacharia@yahoo.com

Mr Mugambi District Agricultural Officer

Ministry of Agriculture,PO Box 12, Meru

Maurice Abuto District Forest Officer Forest Department, PO Box 110, Meru

0722 446197

Melissa Harvey Project coordinator HDRA, Ryton Gardens, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK

+44 24 76308253mharvey@hdra.org.uk

Jonathan Muriuki Associate scientist ICRAF, Gigiri, PO Box 30677, Nairobi

020 7224101/ 0722 866773

Sallyannie Muhoro Administrator ICRAF, PO Box 3208, Meru 064 31267/ 0722 247381

Bernard Muia Nursery technician ICRAF, PO Box 3208, Meru 0720 657600

Grace Kaimuri Nursery assistant ICRAF, PO Box 3208, Meru 0723 741528

Appendix 2. Proposal resulting from the two demonstration/training courses

Increasing the efficiency and safety of chainsaw logging and milling outside forests- a proposal for a training programme in Kenya

A significant positive impact on the livelihoods of those involved in timber production and processing is considered likely with a consolidated training programmes. This would result from an improvement in timber recovery, quality and value addition, with reduced risk of accidents and increased chainsaw life. Increasing the value of trees on farms, in drylands and financial returns to stakeholders should also help to promote tree planting and reduce the pressure on remaining forests, with the associated environmental benefits.

Chainsaws are widely used for milling timber in the tropics. Commonly employed for logging and milling in high forests, they are also associated with illegal exploitation of timber resources, leading to calls for their regulation. They are, however, also frequently used outside forests, on farms and in drylands, rapidly replacing the pitsaws as the low cost tool of choice in all situations. In Kenya, since the ban on logging for sawn wood from gazetted forests in 1999, trees on farms became the principal alternative, and quickly made up a significant amount of all locally available timber. Many static sawmills closed down, and small mobile circular saws and chainsaws proved more economic with the lower volumes of scattered trees. There are no regulations concerning the ownership or use of chainsaws on private land, and initial estimates indicate that there are large numbers in operation.

Studies by KEFRI and ICRAF confirmed that recovery rates from freehand chainsaw milling were very low, averaging 20-25%, with marked improvements for skilled operators. Along with the Forest Department, all stress the need for chainsaw operator training, which is currently not available in Kenya. A project funded by DFID (UK) also identifies the potential of chainsaw milling attachments for increasing recovery and timber quality while also reducing the risk of accidents. A chainsaw milling manual is soon to be published, a draft being tested during two short demonstration/training courses held in Baringo and Meru in February 2006. These also highlighted the lack of even rudimentary knowledge on chainsaw use, which was leading to very high maintenance costs. There were repeated calls by all trainees for further training, in basic chainsaw safety, maintenance, use, chainsaw milling, timber drying and marketing, provision of tailored training materials, with an indication of a willingness to cost share for further training.

The many stakeholder groups represented in the courses and/or interviewed separately, included chainsaw operators and owners, mobile and static sawmill owners, farmers, extension officers, the Forest Department, the Ministry of Agriculture, the environmental agency (NEMA), community groups, academic institutions, NGOs, etc. These communicated their demands to the trainers, from KEFRI, ICRAF and the DFID-funded chainsaw milling project. The result is an outline training programme, with discrete modules, activities and target groups, comprising of training courses for future trainers, production of associated training materials, and an outreach component to take this knowledge out to a large number of individuals nationwide.

Module Activity Target group

1) Chainsaw safety, use and maintenance Training course(s). Chainsaw operators/owners.

2) Chainsaw milling techniques Training course(s). Chainsaw owners/timber end users (e.g. furniture manufacturers).

3) Timber drying and marketing Training course(s). Chainsaw/bench saw owners, timber dealers and end users.

4) Training materials Production of manuals, posters, etc. (chainsaw safety/use, timber drying).

Trained trainers/extension workers, processors, dealers, end users.

5) Outreach Training courses by trained trainers on all/selected modules.

All relevant target groups, processors, dealers and end users.

The trainers wish to elicit support for such a programme from chainsaw and milling attachment manufacturers, national and international organisations, in the hope of attracting sufficient interest to begin such a ‘training of trainers’. Those coordinating this initiative look forward to opening discussions with those that share their beliefs in the social, economic and environmental benefits such a programme would create.

George MuthikeForest Products DivisionKEFRIKenya(+254) 0722 345405muthikegm@yahoo.com

Sammy CarsanTrees and Markets ProgrammeICRAFKenya(+254) 0733 851611s.carsan@cgiar.org

Nick PasiecznikChainsaw milling project managerDFID-FRP (R8510)UK(+33) 03 85546826npasiecznik@wanadoo.fr

Appendix 3. Opening ceremony remarks, Maurice O. Abuto, District Forest Officer. Meru Central, during chainsaw training workshop at Kaguru Farmers Training Centre, 7th February, 2006.

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCESTelephone: 064-30605. MERU CENTRAL DISTRICTP.O. Box 110-60200, MERU

It gives me much pleasure to be with you during this workshop whose business covers important aspects of forestry and in particular forest industry. Wood conversion is an integral stage in processing standing trees and "round wood" into usable form for various utilities. The methods of conversion should be as efficient and economical as possible to enable wood owner realize maximum benefit. Before discussing and sharing with you on chainsaw application, let me briefly highlight some related forestry issues that impact on forest industry directly or indirectly. May I also mention that the Forest Department is the state agency mandated to take the lead in forests and forestry related matters. FD has a vision and a mission whose task is to develop, manage, conserve and protect forests and forestry resources for the benefit of the people of Kenya and the global community. To attain this overall goal the department is guided by the forest policy and legislation which recently was reviewed (overhaul) and now awaiting operationalization. Major initiatives envisaged in the policy include the following:

Establishment of forest semi-autonomous Service (KFS) Creation of forest conservancies Stringent measures against conversion of forest land to other uses. Broad mandate of the Service to cover state, local authority and Private forests Recognition of community participation in forest management Promotion of commercial tree growing by private sector, farmers and communities through incentives Management agreement with stakeholders’ etc.

The fore-going were major features of the reform measures in forestry. Let me also comment on the states of forest industry in Kenya. There was phenomenon growth of the forest industries from 1970s to 1990s. Policies and strategies were put in place emphasizing on self-reliance (restrict import, incentives, tax relief on machineries, relax conditions on licensing). In 1994 the Forest Master Plan report indicated some data on both wood-based and non-wood based industries as summarized below.

1. Wood base industries:- Saw milling -200,000 m3 (for plantation). Pulp and paper - 130,000 tons. Panel manufacture (plywood, particular board, future board) - 43,000 m3. Downstream (secondary/tertiary) wood processing (furniture and joinery) Pole/post production

2. Non-wood products - essential oils, herbal medicine, plant fibres, tannin (Thika and Eldoret), resin, bamboo, game, honey/wax. Those had good potential for developing industries.

Current situation. Wood industry today is in chaotic situation as demand outstrips supply. This must be attributed to ban (moratorium) on forest wood extraction. This has left many sawmills closed with idle machineries. A number of millers had invested through loans which they failed to pay back and are now at the mercy of auctioneers. It has also been observed too much emphasis was put on conservation at the expense of sound forest management as articulated by forestry principles and the national forest policy.

Marketing. Marketing of products from farms is an area of concern. These products can be produced partly or wholly for sale as well as for subsistence consumption. The contemporary markets are very imperfect surrounded by a lot of constraints. The constraints can be removed through the following measures:-

Provision of complementary marketing services to encourage farmers to engage in tree product. Identification of markets for specific products. Assessments of possible financial probability through analysis cost benefit ratio. Restricting role of middlemen to enable farmers maximize benefit to the fullest.

Application of price stabilization measures. Tree valuation measures.

Chainsaw milling. This is the most commonly used method of felling and conversion at the farm level. However, the operation is characterized by:

Unskilled techniques Low timber recovery (felling and sawing) Low timber quality Poor timber seasoning

The other areas to be addressed include; Local/national policy and legislation. Safety measures (machine and operators) Sources of wastages (kerf size) Cutting techniques Choose of equipment- type, price, lifespan. Comparative advantage of a tool. Availability of machines and spares Maintenance (routine and major) Working environment

The above observations are not conclusive but expected to provoke your mind and to complement what you will cover in this workshop.

Let me wish you good time as you go through the remaining sessions.May I now declare the Workshop formally opened. Thank you very much for listening.

Table 1. Supply and demand for wood in the high potential and medium potential districts of Kenya (1995-2005), and projections (2010-2020). All figures in thousands of cubic metres (m3 x 1000)

Year 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020

Demand

Firewood 7993 9251 10686 12251 13889 15593

Wood for charcoal

5085 6298 7351 8511 9726 10972

Poles 948 1111 1308 1544 1823 2153

Industrial wood

1058 1209 1378 1543 1709 1961

Total wood demand

15084 17869 20723 23849 27147 30679

Supply

Indigenous forests

1942 1916 1909 1909 1909 1909

Forest plantations

2149 2600 2402 2840 3245 3815

Farms and settlements

7437 10386 13375 16421 19479 22553

Clearings and substitutes

1648 1917 2118 2430 2754 3086

Total wood supply

13176 16819 19804 23600 27387 31363

Wood surplus/ deficit

- 1908 - 1050 - 919 - 249 + 240 + 984

Farms as a % of total supply

56% 62% 68% 70% 71% 72%

Appendix 4. Challenges of small-scale sawmilling industry in Kenya and opportunities for its improvement. James Onchieku, KEFRI, Kenya.

Introduction and background

The forest-based industry in Kenya is classified into mechanical wood industry and pulp and paper industry. The former includes sawmilling, wood-based panel manufacture (plywood, particleboard and fibreboard), downstream wood processing (mainly furniture and joinery) and pole production. Almost 95% of all sawn wood from the sawmilling industry is consumed by heavy and light construction industry, furniture and joinery industry and the wood carving industry. Over the last 30 years since Kenya attained independence in 1963 until early 1990s, the sawmilling industry in Kenya grew in number to about 450 sawmills categorized into large, medium and small scale. This categorization was based on their log processing capacity; the large scale sawmills processed over 5000 m3 while medium and small scale sawmills processed between 2000-5000 m3 and less than 2000 m3 respectively.

The annual output of the sawmilling industry was about 200,000 m3 of sawn wood with estimated achievable total capacity of 400,000 m3 i.e. an average annual output of about 450 m3 per mill. The sawmilling raw materials consisted almost entirely of softwood trees grown in plantations, farmlands and settlements. These were mainly cypress (Cupressus lusitanica) accounting for 60 % and pines (Pinus patula) contributing 40%. Characteristics are presented below of the three categories of the sawmilling industry which were in operation before a presidential national moratorium on log extraction from Government forest plantations. The large scale category was equipped with satisfactorily high efficiency machines and well skilled operating crews unlike the bulk of the small and medium scale sawmills. The recovery rate for the large scale sawmills was about 35% while that of small scale and medium scale sawmills was 10-20% and 20-25% respectively.

Characteristics of sawmill categories in KenyaSmall scale Open machine sawmill Poorly equipped logging crews Use cheapest saws in mill Unskilled/semi-skilled logging crews and sawyers Very poor supervision Poor maintenance and serving of equipment and machines Extremely low recoveries, between 10-20 %Medium scale Mostly more than 1 machine centre Mostly use circular saws Relatively better equipped logging crews Fair supervision Reasonable maintenance and servicing of equipment and m/c Poor recoveries, 20-25 % Fair quality sawn woodLarge scale More than 1 machine centre Different sawing machines; band, circular, frame saws Better equipped logging crews Satisfactory maintenance and servicing of machines Satisfactory recoveries, 35 % Log grading common Good quality sawn wood

Currently there are 318 sawmilling enterprises comprising of 8, 65 and 245 large, medium and small-scale respectively compared with a potential population of 450 sawmills of which there could be 15, 155 and 280 large, medium and small-scale. The large-scale sawmills, with better conversion machineries and skilled manpower, have the highest sawn wood recovery rate (41.8%) followed by medium scale (30.1%) which is closely followed by small scale sawmills (24.2%). These are timber recoveries attained when skilled and experienced sawyers are used. In this case chain saw was used for logging activities and circular saw bench for conversion. The emerging changes within the sawmilling industry have brought about challenges and constraints to the industry’s development and in the process opening options and opportunities for its improvement. The challenges range from scarcity of raw materials, shift to unconventional sawmilling machinery to changes in market dynamics. This in turn has led to unavailability of specific types of sawn wood in the market of the desirable grades, low recovery rates causing high wastage and lack of appropriate manpower with the necessary skills for the new sawmilling machinery.

Current challenges within the sawmilling industry

The challenges and constraints to the development of the small-scale sawmilling enterprise in Kenya could be classified into socio-economic, technical, logistical and policy and legislation. They are encountered at 4 main levels, namely: production, harvesting and logging, primary processing (debranching, cross-cutting, stacking, onward transportation), conversion and quality control, and marketing and utilization.

Production, harvesting and logging

Currently the main source of timber for the conventional industry is on-farm or private smallholder tree growers. The traditional sources of raw materials, which were mainly Government plantation forests, are no longer available to the industry since the presidential national ban on harvesting of forest trees from both the plantation and natural forests in early 1990s. This transition has caused considerable challenges both to the farmers and log processors. Smallholder tree growers lack access to appropriate propagation materials of the right quality. They also have limited knowledge on the type of tree species to grow, how and where to grow them to meet the requirements of the small-scale sawmillers. Technical staff to train farmers on tree silvicultural treatments and management practices such as pruning and thinning regimes to improve quality are either lacking or lack logistics to enable them access the farmers. The small-scale sawmilling enterprise is mainly concentrated in the rural areas with minimum organization. It can be described as pastoral sawmilling because sawyers move from one region to another in such of raw materials. Most of the operations are carried out informally starting with the purchase of trees, their processing and onward transport of the resource. Tree resources to be processed are usually not located in one place but in isolated and difficult terrain making procurement costly and time consuming. However, this should be a short-term challenge and it is expected that on the long term the industry would be streamlined with the growing of the trees professionally.

Primary tree processing

The tools and equipments used in harvesting and logging on-farm trees are axes, pangas (machetes) and power-saws or chain-saws. There are no legal provisions governing training on the use, maintenance, safety and health aspects of persons using chain-saws. Using axes especially during tree felling and cross-cutting always reduce recovery rate drastically. This is because it is at the stump height that log diameter is highest. It is recommended that chainsaw is used at the felling, cross-cutting and debranching stage to minimize log wastage. The majority of logging crews are either unskilled or semi-skilled in felling, snedding (cross-cutting and debranching) and log extraction. This is due to unavailability of adequate training centres and lack of technical and financial support from both the Central Government and its development partners. Previous studies on the impact of trained compared to untrained manpower on recovery rates showed that the use of trained manpower increased sawn wood recovery from about 24.2% to 41.8%. In this case the trained personnel were skilled in the right machine to use at various stages, knowledge on log characteristics and market requirements. Inadequate understanding of the cost of the level of log recovery in monetary value also contributed to low recovery. An appreciation that between 50-80% of the total sawmilling costs are log costs would make the logging crew to minimize log wastage at all stages.

Conversion and quality control

The sawmilling machinery available for conversion of sawlogs into timber are power-saws or chain-saws and circular saws on mobile saw benches which are often poorly maintained and operated by unskilled or semi-skilled logging crews and sawyers resulting in extremely low recovery rates of between 15-25%. The use of power-saw/chain-saw for conversion of logs to sawn wood is the most important cause of extremely low recoveries. The power-saw was intended for tree felling, cross-cutting and debranching but not for log sawing into timber. It is heavy weighing about 8kg making handling difficult during sawing thus leading to excessive vibration. Its kerf size is considerably big than that of the band saw which is recommended for use in conversion of logs to timber thus causing high wastage. Relatively high recovery rates are obtained when using circular saw bench than chain-saw for the conversion of saw logs to sawn wood. The kerf of the circular saw blade is usually smaller than that of the chain saw. However, recovery optimization of saw bench is affected at the in-feed and out-feed points causing many over sizes and under sizes due to wobbling of the machine and because the speed of the circular saw is not synchronized with that of the accelerator of the tractor. Recovery could be optimized by having detachable rollers at the in-feed and out-feed points of sawbench which could make log handling and orientation manageable.

Timber seasoning schedules for new species in the market have not been determined especially where electric kiln seasoning is carried out. Lack of drying schedules cause severe distortion of timber leading to low grades and increased wastage. Grevillea robusta, Eucalyptus grandis and E. saligna are now commonly used for construction and furniture making. Because G. robusta is very susceptible to insect attack and other biodegrading agents, appropriate timber preservation methods using low cost chemicals is required. The optimum utilization of the new timber species in the market by structural engineers is also hampered by lack of technical data. The availability of mechanical strength properties of timber and favorable grading rules leading to the development of grade stresses would enhance their

efficient utilization. Knowledge of grade stresses of timber obtained from small scale sawmillers would enable structural engineers and designers to avoid over-designing or under-designing.

Marketing and utilization

The marketing and utilization of forest produce has been hampered by many factors, e.g. the status of forest policy formulation and implementation, lack of proper market structure and organization, limited access to market information, lack of adequate knowledge on tree inventory and valuation and technical data on the forest products in the market. The Forest Policy 2005 contained in Sessional Paper No. 9 of 2005 clearly outlines various very supportive policy statements on farm forestry in Kenya bearing in mind that the challenge in farm forestry is to promote commercial forestry, improve its management and enhance efficient utilization and marketing of forestry products by ensuring inter alia that: forests and trees on private lands are established and managed using sound business principles and according to landowners’ priorities, landowners are encouraged and supported through appropriate incentives including partnerships to have sufficient tree cover, and there is a conducive environment for processing, pricing and marketing of farm forestry products.

These policy statements are very encouraging, once logistics to facilitate their implementation are in place, to a smallholder tree grower in many aspects including procurement of propagation material, partnerships with various stakeholders especially experts on forestry management and development, processing and marketing of the products. Previously, the Forest Policy that was contained in Sessional Paper No. 1 of 1968 did not provide for adequate harmonization between other resources policies, which often led to conflict in farm forestry production, development, marketing and utilization. The demand for saw logs surpasses supply by a large margin because the traditional small-scale tree growers were not necessarily growing trees for the large-scale construction and furniture industry but for small scale use at the local level. This has also been exacerbated by the entry of other consumers such as tea and tobacco processing factories which buy trees from farmers at very low prices by exploiting farmers’ lack of knowledge on resource inventory and valuation techniques.

There is limited access to market information as well as technical data. Lack of sufficient information to the sawmiller on the species diversity required, specifications including sizes and lengths and types of grades either for construction timber or for joinery in the market is a major constraint to the sawmilling industry. Conversely the users of the forest products sourced from the small-scale sawmilling industry are not provided with the necessary technical data to facilitate efficient and optimum utilization. Within the sawmilling industry, the sawn wood recovery rates depends on the type of sawing pattern (taper or split taper sawing), conversion systems (through and through, quarter or cant sawing), saw cutting width of the saw kerf, log diameter and sawn wood sizes. Different sawing methods yield different mean recoveries, e.g. production of parallel-edged timber and conically-edged timber could yield 56-68% and 60-70% respectively using bandsaws. Through and through is fast with high yield compared to quarter sawing.

Options and opportunities for improvement of the industry

The shift of sources of sawlogs from plantation forests to smallholder tree growers would enable farmers to maximize benefits and services derived from practicing on-farm agroforestry. The direct benefits include increased income from sale of timber, poles and posts, seeds etc. while the indirect benefits and services are environmental conservation and preservation such as soil conservation, wind breaking, boundary marking, aesthetics etc. Motivation from these benefits would encourage farmers to increase land area under afforestation and would be an incentive to grow trees more professionally. Training opportunities for various stakeholders in small-scale sawmilling would significantly contribute towards optimization of log recovery and improve the socio-economic status of rural community. Practical training on chain saw operations, safety and risk assessment would be essential especially during tree felling, processing and log extraction. Proper maintenance of chainsaws is essential for safe use and the following should be checked regularly for damage and excessive wear: chain catcher, silencer, guide bar, drive sprocket and chain links, side plate, front and rear hand guards and anti-vibration mounts. Suitable protective clothing should be worn, regardless of the magnitude of the job. These include safety helmet, hearing protection, eye protection, close fitting clothing, hand gloves, leg protection and chain boots.

Correct decisions on the best harvesting system to use is important, e.g. selection of either short wood or full length harvesting system. At the felling stage, wastage could be minimized by: controlling tree fall to minimize losses due to breakage and grade loss, minimizing stump height where diameter is largest, and minimize sink cut and main felling cut by using skilled operator. Sawmilling recovery could be increased at the processing or snedding (cross cutting and debranching) through (i) knowledge on log lengths for specific uses, e.g. construction, joinery or firewood and to match buyers’ or market requirements (ii) proper log sorting to avoid species mix up but encourage stacking same lengths in one batch. During log extraction, proper handling practices would ensure that logs do not get dirty, muddy and sandy which could damage and wear teeth of saw blades. Proper understanding of the physical characteristics of logs such as log diameter and length, log taper, sweep and crook would improve recovery rate. Increasing log diameter and log length up to about 4 m increases recovery rate. Beyond 5m many oversize and undersize timber are obtained. Usually

volume yield increase with decreasing taper, so butt and top ends of a log should be reduced whenever there is excessive taper. Sweep and crook reduce timber recovery with the former by about 25%. Crooked logs take about 10% more time to saw than straight logs. High taper, eccentricity or cross-sectional irregularity, sweep and crook increase material handling and processing problems thus reducing timber recovery.

The use of chain saw for various forest harvesting and conversion operations is a long-term option in sawmilling business. There is urgent need to explore opportunities of improving most of its features such as kerf size, weight, guide bar and the level of vibration. Major innovations on the chain saw should be geared towards ensuring that timber recovery rates are substantially improved. Appropriate modification of the chain saw would ensure handling stability, enhance portability and minimize wastage due to saw blade kerf.

There are also opportunities of formalization of the small-scale sawmilling enterprise by engaging in the usual marketing activities such as market research, product development, distribution, pricing and promotion. Since marketing is so important that half the cost of goods and services results from the marketing process, effective marketing could include formation of associations and timber auction calendar in various regions where timber is produced. Services of a professional forester would ensure successful timber sale that is profitable and preserves trees for future management. Professional services are available in Forest Department, Kenya Forestry Research Institute, Universities, Forest Industry and Private consultancies.

Conclusions

1. The use of chainsaws in small-scale sawmilling at the harvesting (felling and processing) and conversion stages is very common compared to the saw bench which is also used for conversion leading to low recovery rates of between 15-25%

2. Training of logging crew on general safety and risk assessment, chain saw maintenance, recovery optimization at various stages of log processing is very low and irregular without a proper training manual

3. The logging manpower who are either unskilled or semi-skilled have limited knowledge on log characteristics, milling characteristics and market requirements leading to low recoveries

4. There is lack of access to market information by the sellers and buyers especially on tree inventory and valuation, timber types and sizes, grade specification and appropriate timber uses

Recommendations

1. There is need to train smallholder tree growers and other stakeholders on basic tree husbandry such as: silvicultural treatments (pruning and thinning) and management, simple on-farm tree inventory and valuation, timber marketing and utilization.

2. Small scale manpower should be trained on: the use of appropriate machinery and equipment to be used at the stages of harvesting, processing and conversion, machinery and equipment maintenance and safety precautions, and timber quality, marketing and utilization specifications.

3. Most features of the current chainsaw should be modified to enhance portability, increase recovery by reducing the kerf, weight, level of vibration, etc.