1. Overview

The government of Barbados within the last decade has focussed its attention primarily on physical development mainly to expand the growing tourist sector and to provide additional homes for the local population. There has been very little emphasis had placed on developing the forestry sector and consequently only a small quantity of local wood is currently being produced for commercial utilisation. The size of Barbados being just four hundred and thirty one square kilometres (431 sq. km) compared to its population of two hundred and sixty six thousand eight hundred individuals (266.8), may imply or even suggest that it is almost impossible to designate large areas for the growing of trees and forests. In order to keep pace with the booming construction industry within the last five years, the demand for wood and wood-products increased significantly, and even though the majority of modern homes in Barbados are not constructed from wood, most of their interior furnishings (tables, chairs, cupboards, wardrobes, cabinets etc) are decorated with wooden-made articles.

Recent figures (1994-1999) from the Barbados Industrial Development Corporation (BIDC) have shown imports in furniture and other wooden products totalling Barbados (BDS) $163, 604, 407 compared to just BDS $7, 209, 198 for exports. Evidently, there is a very serious imbalance between imports and exports. For example, imports for the year 1999 alone stood at BDS $ 42, 234, 572 compared to just BDS $ 1,211,332 in exports for that same year (see tables below). The majority of imported temperate wood and wooden products (lumber, veneer sheets, particle board, plywood, paper, etc.) came from the United States of America, Great Britain, and Canada, while most of the tropical products came from Brazil, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago. In relation to exports, these were confined mainly to regional markets, namely St Vincent, St Lucia, Jamaica, St Kitts/Nevis and other CARICOM states.