UTGA NEWS16th November 2012

IN THIS ISSUEWhere does Uganda get its timber from

NEWS: Bad news for British forestry

UTGA staff survive forest snake attack

Illegal timber trade: Uganda loses UGX23bn

www.utga.ug

Forest tools: The Kestrel weather meter

UTGA Information Sharing Meeting

A recent report commis-sioned by WWF (World

Wildlife Fund) provides some useful information and recommendations for all those involved in the timber trade in the East African re-gion. With a lot of the trade currently taking place under the radar screen of various authorities, it is certainly not easy getting such informa-tion. The authors, however, have done an admirable job in pulling together what information they could find and used sensible assump-tions where necessary. The study clearly shows how timber being cut and exported from Eastern DRC is now supplying most of the region’s needs, with Kenya taking the lion’s share in 2011 (53% or 32,100m3): South Sudan is 2nd -18% or 10,750m3); with Uganda in bronze-medal position with

We mentioned in the previous News-letter (2nd Nov. 2012) that we had

initiated a visioning exercise for UTGA. UTGA has stepped up a gear or two in 2012 in an effort to put the organisation on a sound footing and we realised that expectations of what UTGA can deliver differed widely between the various stake-holders in the organization. We thought that the best route would be to hire the services of a specialist in the field of Organisational Development and someone with experience in Members’ organisations in Uganda. The consultant selected is Ms Alida Bakema-Boon, with vast experience in these areas. She was part of the Cardno Agrisystems’ team that undertook the Mid-Term Review of SPGS in late 2011. Alida has already designed an internet-based questionnaire which has been sent to all Members. So please fill this in when you have a spare 10 minutes: it is really very straight forward and an excellent chance for you to get your idea across that will help UTGA to deliver what its Mem-bers want. It is confidential too so don’t hold back! Over the next few weeks Alida will also be holding one-to-one interviews with UTGA’s Board Members, TAs, office staff, and other key stakeholders. In early 2013, we will then organize three 1-day Workshops in Kampala, each targeting Members from a specific Cluster. The exercise will thus gather together many people’s views about UTGA and will help develop a shared vision for the organization. It will also greatly assist us to identify weaknesses in the organisation that we need to improve on in order to get where we want in the short and long term. For enquiries, contact dennisk@utga.ug

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF UTGA

WHERE DOES UGANDA GET ITS TIMBER FROM?

The same report referred to above on the state of timber in East Africa region shows that Uganda loses Shs23 annually in uncollected fees and taxes on timber from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.The

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UGANDA LOSES SHS 23B IN ILLEGAL TIMBER TRADE

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report, Timber movement and trade in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and destination market in the region also show that 80 per cent or 288,000 cubic meters of sawn wood traded in the country is illegal.

Timber Movement And Trade In Eastern DRC And Destination Markets In The Region

One of the big mahoganies in Budongo forest. Fast growing plantations must produce timber to meet re-gional demand so that such natural forests can survive.

GlyphosateWhen applied prop-erly, Glyphosate can be easily the most cost-effective method for controlling weeds. Glyphosate is a broad spectrum, non-selective, systemic herbicide. In plain English this means that it can kill all plant types including grasses, perennials and woody plants – provided, of course, that the chemi-cal is applied at the correct dose, at the right time and carried out by well trained and su-pervised personnel. Therefore good training of the spray team is essential for success.

Read the Label & Protective ClothingWhen using any chemical, remember always to use according to the label on the herbicide containers and fol-low the operating instructions that come with the equipment. It is also vital that the spray team is issued

SAFE USE OF GLYPHOSATE

Weed type

Perennial broad leaves

Annual broad leaves

Grasses

Sedges

Rate per ha

4 - 6 lt/ha

2 – 4 lt/ha

4 – 6 lt/ha

6 – 8lt/ha

CommentsBelow 60 cm in height, not re-growth.Before weeds develop a woody stem.Actively growing be-fore any leaf dieback.At flowering stage.

sure that all chemical containers are clearly labeled too. Used containers must be punctured (so they cannot be used as water containers) and burnt in a pit when conditions are safe.

The Importance of Calibration & TrainingCalibration is essential to ensure the right amount of chemical is sprayed onto the target weed. Therefore, it is essential for a user to know how to calibrate a sprayer. Ensure the spray team are properly trained and well supervised at all times. Mistakes can be very costly. Post-Plant SprayingRemember that we said Glyphosate is non-selective, which means that it will kill your planted trees as well as the weeds. So when spraying after planting, ensure the planted crop is protected by using cones, buckets or some sort of shield that stops any spray drifting onto your planted crop. NB: For more information visit UTGA’s office or consult SPGS’s Tree Planting Guidelines for Uganda (Chapter 12). Contact irenen@utga.ug

Recommended Dosage For Glyphosate

UTGA SAFETY TIP

with (and that they wear) appro-priate Per-sonal Protec-tive Equipment (PPE). The spraying team should at least have cotton overalls

and gumboots: plastic aprons are also recom-mended. The person mixing the chemicals must also have rubber gloves: masks and/or respirators may be appropriate for some chemi-cals too. NB. Some of these are available at UTGA’s Office.

Chemical Stor-age, Stock Con-trol & Disposal Pesticides must be stored secure-ly and separate from PPE, other chemicals and food. A chemical register must be kept: always en-

Contracting out spraying as a mode of chemical weed control is encouraged for positive results

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14% (8,320m3). In contrast to Western DRC which is dominated by large in-dustrial concessionaires, the trade in the East is dominated by small scale operators using chainsaws to fell and cut planks and head-loads to bring the wood to the road side. This is an incredibly wasteful process although it does mean that only large, valuable trees are targeted instead of obliterat-ing the forest which tends to happen with the industrial operations. Mahogany is the main species going to the Kenyan, Uganda and Rwan-dan markets, whilst the construction boom in Juba (South Sudan) is being served largely by ‘softwoods’ such as White Nongo (Albizzia spp.) and Nkalati (Anigeria spp.). The authors state that “the adminis-tration capacity and regulatory sys-tems in the forestry sector in Eastern DRC are weak and the timber trade is poorly regulated”. And elsewhere “the official procedures (in DRC) for acquiring permits to harvest, trans-port and export timber are rarely if ever followed”. It is the all too familiar story of an under-resourced Forest Dept. (which inevitably leads to corrupt practices) and in DRC there are the enormous challenges of the sheer scale of the forests and the abysmal infrastructure.The report also highlights that both Uganda and Rwanda have virtually no hardwood timber resources left (except in protected areas) and that Uganda’s plantation resource (whilst expanding) is all less than 10 years old. “Consequently Uganda faces a significant gap in timber supply until

UGANDA’S SOURCE OF TIMBER UTGA INFORMATION SHARING MEETING

UTGA SURVIVE FOREST SNAKE ATTACK

As of 1st September 2012, the Gatsby Clonal Nurseries were made into a private, independent company called Uganda Tree Resources Ltd. The new company has taken the operation of all the four (4) nurseries (Kifu, Kabanyolo, Mbale and

Fort Portal) and is on a mission to expand produc-tion to provide a higher volume of quality planting material to all our existing clients as well as future tree growers. We are committed to supplying the highest quality of Eucalyptus clones and address

the needs of all customer segments.

We have new contact information for inquiries, sales and other matters:

Mobile: 0783300745Email: ugandatreeresources@gmail.comWebsite: www.ugandatreeresources.com (Under design)

We hope you can embark on the journey to growing better forests with us.

Lina PerezBusiness Development Manager

Uganda Tree Resources Ltd.

2025 when the first of the recently established plantations are expected to reach harvestable sizes and come on stream”. The report’s last Chapter contains 8 policy recommendations, which are very sensible in theory but very dif-ficult to achieve, particularly in the light of the political unrest on Eastern DRC - for example:• Reform DRC’s administrative procedures and regulations for small scale logging;• Increase transparency to improve governance;• Collaboration between Customs and Forest Authorities;•Adopt standards in East African Community to discourage and ultimately prohibit the use of illegal timber. Nevertheless, the authors of this report - Sean White, James Ndimu-kulaga, Samwiri Rwabwogo, Bernard Bylingiro, Martin Lohuru Tobiolo and Drama Patrick Sira are to be congratulated on an important study that has implica-tions for anyone in Uganda invest-ing in commercial timber plantations. For readers who would like more, UTGA can provide the email ad-dress of the senior author on request, contact dennisk@utga.org

Notice is hereby given of an Information Sharing Meeting for paid-up Members of Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA) to take place on Thurs-day 13th December, 2012 at Ho-tel Africana - Kampala, starting at 12:30pm. Paid-up Members are asked to confirm participation by 5.00pm on Friday 7th/12/2012 to the Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA) Office on 0785-343564 or info@utga.ug to allow for planning and proper preparations

The UTGA GM Dennis Kavuma, NOR-SKOG’s Erling Bergsaker and SPGS’ Walter Mapanda survived being bit-ten by one of Africa’s most poison-ous snakes, a black Mamba that was lying beside a forest path, lying in wait for prey. This was at Gabriel Hatega’s pine forest in Nakasongola where the team had gone for a valua-tion verification exercise. Black mambas are fast, nervous, lethally venomous, and when threatened, highly aggressive. They have been blamed for numerous human deaths.Snakes are not an entirely an uncommon feature in forests and yet by the time the team had acquired the necessary tools to kill it off, the serpent had already slithered away back into the dense undergrowth.

UTGA BOARD MEETINGThe UTGA Board will have its final sitting of the year on Thursday, 6th/December/2012 starting at 4pm.

To contribute, respond, react to any information or submit to the upcoming bi-monthly issue of UTGA News and for more information about Commercial forestry activities in Uganda: Contact: Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA)P.O.Box 75063 Kampala.Tel: 256-785-343564Email: info@utga.ugWebsite: www.utga.ug

This newsletter is a product of UTGA with support from SPGS and NORSKOG

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The Kestrel Meter 3500 Weather Meter

Trees have hit the headlines in the UK over the past few weeks and many people are worried. Questions have been asked in Parliament about forestry and emergency high-level meetings have been held between top forestry officials and politicians. The reason? The dis-covery of a potentially disastrous fungal disease – Chalara fraxinea - in one of UK’s main indigenous trees – the Ash, Fraxinus excelsior. An estimated 90 million Ash trees in the UK are at risk.

Chalara fungal disease is a killer and there is no known cure. In Continental Europe and Scandinavia it has already killed millions of Ash trees (up to 90% of Denmark’s Ash have succumbed). It is spread by wind (airborne spores) and also through the movement of infected plants. Despite being warned by Scan-dinavian scientists over three years ago, there has been no ban on the importation of Ash trees into the UK from countries where it was known to be widespread. Investigations have also revealed that forestry research budgets have been slashed in the last decade by government and there are also now very few trained forestry pathologists in the UK.

(BAD) NEWS FOR BRITISH FORESTRYWhy all the fuss you may ask? It is because Ash has a special place in the UK in terms of landscape (although making up only 5% of UK’s native woodland it is a common hedgerow tree), its associ-ated unique biodiversity and its excel-lent wood properties (including being a superior firewood). There is also the memory of another killer fungal disease (carried from tree to tree by bark beetles) that killed nearly all of the UK’s elm trees in the 1970’s and ‘80’s.

What lessons can we learn for Uganda? Firstly, we must be aware of potential pest and disease threats to our trees: UTGA will do by monitoring publica-tions and by taking up the mantle from SPGS with regard to collaboration with regional researchers (e.g. KEFRI in Ke-nya, TAFORRI in Tanzania and FABI in South Africa). UTGA will lobby govern-ment (including SPGS) too for funds for applied research. Another key lesson is to ensure infected plants are not moved around the country once a P&D outbreak has been identified on a particular spe-cies. And last but not least, we need to get more scientists trained in the specialist fields of forest entomology and pathology - and quickly.

Taxes are based on the timber volume the current practice in Uganda Revenue Authority is to express quantity in kilo-grammes on the customs form. Inspection of several custom forms shows anomalies between quantities imported and taxes, indicating under- payment of 43 per cent of taxes in 2010 and 50 per cent in 2011. According to the report commissioned by the World Wildlife fund for Nature (WWF) to be launched at imperial Re-sort Beach Hotel in Entebbe on 19th Nov. 2012 ,the value of tim-ber, on which taxes are based in outdated leading to loss in sub-stantial revenue through under valuation. While opening the WWF region forestry planning meeting in Entebbe on Tuesday and ahead of the launch of the report, State Minister for Water available Betty Bigombe said available data shows that there is widespread unregulated trade and movement of timber with in and across countries in the region. The report also says illegal timber from eastern DRC affects the competitive-ness of locally produced timber by lowering the price and reducing investors willing-ness to venture into timber processing. The Minister said the vice could be checked if the government and conserva-tion bodies adopted market based approaches to forest conservation. The main entry points for timber into Uganda from DR Congo are Busunga, Ntoroko and Rwebisengo. Others are Goli, Paidha, Vurra,

Lia, Odraba in west Nile. This is an extract from the Monitor Newspaper dated 15th Novem-ber 2012.

UGANDA LOSES SHS 23B IN ILLEGAL TIMBER TRADE

The Kestrel 3500 is the perfect tool for forest owners that require accurate weather information for fire management and silvi-culture management. Traditionally, forest owners measure weather parameters at the main office to calculate a general FDI for the Forest Estate. With the Kestrel 3500 technology, you will not only know the cur-rent weather conditions, but be able to track changes in the environment and therefore make predictions as to what might happen to an ongoing fire.

Kestrel pocket weather meter is a simple and compact instrument for measuring weather variables that a forest owner needs to calculate Fire Danger Index (FDI). It fits right into the palm of your hand and weighs approximately 65 grams. It has all

the wind and weather monitoring functions such as Current Wind Speed, Average Wind Speed and Maximum Wind Gust, Dry bulb temperature and Relative Humidity which are important on calculating FDI. It also has many other variables such as wind chill, heat stress, dew-point wet bulb temperature, altitude and barometric pressure. It al-lows you to calculate real time FDI at any location fire is burning. It’s also extremely durable and totally waterproof. It costs about US $ 200.