Description of plantation resources
Introduction
The total area of natural forests and plantations is about 9 million ha, comprising 40 percent of the land area (ITTO, 1998).
The forestry sector plays an important role in the economy. Since 1970, it has accounted for five to six percent of the country's GDP. It also provides employment to about 70 000 people. Despite its importance, forest resources declined considerably from the middle of the 1970s until the early 1980s (FAO, 1995).
Development of forest plantations
Reforestation in the past has not been sufficient to match the rate of deforestation. Plantation development has not been sustained for the past several decades.
A national plantation project was launched in 1970, but during a decade of economic decline there was little activity. Another plantation programme was launched in the northern and upper region in 1976. This also slowed down due to lack of funds in the early 1980s. After a drought in 1983 the government mounted another national-level campaign for plantations (FAO, 1995).
Species composition
An exotic species, Tectona grandis, makes up more than half the plantations area. Tectona grandis showed remarkable performance when it was introduced in the national plantation project in 1970. A fourth of the total plantation area is rubber. The rest is planted with other species, both indigenous and exotic (FAO 1995 and 1997).
Trend
Currently, the government is implementing a forest resources management project financed by grants from the Overseas Development Administration (ODA), UK Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) from Denmark and the World Bank. The objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity of Ghana's forest sector to manage forests under a sustainable management policy (ITTO, 1999).
Issues
Only the government is responsible for the management of forests. Others, such as land owners, farmers and communities, just derive benefits from forests and are not responsible for their management (ITTO, 1999).
References
APCC. 1998. Coconut statistical yearbook 1997. Jakarta, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community.
FAO. 1995. Forest resource management - Project findings and recommendations. Terminal Report. Project FO:UTF/GHA/025/GHA. Rome.
IRSG. 1997. World rubber statistics handbook 1975-1995. 5. London, United Kingdom, International Rubber Study Group.
IRSG. 1999. Rubber statistical bulletin, 53 (9). London, United Kingdom, International Rubber Study Group.
ITTO. 1998. Annual review and assessment of the world timber situation 1997. Yokohama, Japan, International Tropical Timber Organization.
ITTO. 1999. Tropical forest update. Yokohama, Japan. International Tropical Timber Organization.
FAO. 1998. Forest plantation areas 1995. November 1997, revised July 1998. En Report to the FAO project GCP/INT/628/UK, Rome.
FAO. 1995. National report on the forestry policy of Ghana. FAO Forestry Paper No. 132. Rome.