Angola has an exploitable timber potential estimated at 57 million m3, out of which 340,000 m3 are in natural forests and 850,000 m3 in planted forests.

The available timber volume for annual exploitation is approximated at 1.9 million m3 to 1.2 million m3, as the minister of Agriculture, Afonso Pedro Canga, stated.

According to All Africa, Angola produced 125,000 m3 of timber in 2015 and might grow even more considering the investments that are underway in the public and private sectors. In the public sector, the Ministry of Agriculture is already developing a program to empower the field of forestry services as to maintain supervision and control the illegal exploitation.

“Forest exploitation implies a set of conditions, equipment, roads, technical personnel and also entrepreneurs who have such technical and financial capacity and strict monitoring of the activity,” said Pedro Canga.

In the 1980’s there was a planted areas potential of 150,000 acres of forest nurseries, which are now smaller. At the moment, as to recover the potential of those areas, there are program for plantation and reforestation for environmental, energetic and timber production purposes, as All Africa reported.

“We have all potential to grow. We have a planted forest potential, the nurseries, mainly in the central highlands, that is receiving a new organization and treatment, both concerning their protection and sustainable exploitation, and expansion of the planted area,” he stressed.

Moreover, the Forest Development Institute (IDF) has some insufficiencies regarding the controlling services capacity because of lack of personnel, as minister Canga explained. Yet, the Ministry of Environment manages to control the forest conservation areas very well.

Source: IHB