Production and Commercialization of Timber in Angola after the Declaration of Independence

Abstract

Abstract The policy of production and commercialization of timber before and after the independence of Angola was assessed. Historical production of timber under control of Portuguese settlers before 1975 in comparison to the production of timber after this period was reviewed. We used a combination of published scientific studies and government reports to support the background of the paper and a structured questionnaire survey from which analyses were drawn using a logistic regression model. It was found out that timber production declined dramatically after Angola gained independence; the production of logs dropped from 555 000 m3 in 1973 to less than 115 400 m3. Out of the 100 mills that had existed in Angola before 1975 only twenty have been in operation today with annual wood production of less than 20% of extraction capacity. The knowledge concerning the historical production of timber before and after 1975 is not sufficient to provide suggestions for a management plan on what trees, where, and when are to be cut.