TANZANIA has increased its forest product exports by 87percent over the past three years—from 227,615 cubic metres in 2020/21 to 426,805 cubic metres in 2022/23—thanks to improved forest management.

Tanzania Forestry Services (TFS) Conservation Commissioner, Prof. Dosantos Silayo, said here yesterday that the country exported a total of 1,011,013 cubic metres of forest products in the past three years.

“This growth is driven by local timber industries shifting from raw exports to producing finished wood products,” he said.

Silayo noted that forestry and beekeeping sectors continue to support industrial growth, particularly in energy and construction materials. Over the last three years, Tanzania harvested 4.49 million cubic metres of timber, including from state-owned plantations.

For 2023/24, 1.22 million cubic metres are expected to be harvested, rising to 1.25 million in 2024/25. Silayo said exports of engineered wood products (EWP) reached 73,188 cubic metres in 2022/23, a 66.6 percent increase from 15,876 cubic metres in 2021/22.

“This surge reflects the government’s strategy to prioritize processed exports over raw materials,” he added.TFS currently serves about 11,670 stakeholders in the small-scale wood industry, with roughly 4,000 small factories and 4,300 medium and large operations. These include furniture makers, wood processors, charcoal producers, engineered wood and paper manufacturers.

“Most rely on raw materials from both private and state-owned forests,” he said.