The Zambia National Association for Saw Millers says cheap timber from Malawi and Tanzania has continued to flood the Zambian market due to lack of regulatory policies.
Association Secretary General Derick Chilatu said government feels the country does not have sufficient timber to meet the country’s demand therefore it cannot regulate imports which is very disappointing as the country has sufficient timber to meet the demand.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chilatu said the Association was hoping government would take a stand on the matter and protect the local market but government is not interested for one reason or the other.
“I was advised that government feels there is no enough timber to satisfy the market, which is not true, which is not the case. I don’t think they have been on the ground to find out because the Copperbelt where most of that soft wood comes from is flooded, it’s so flooded our members have nowhere to sell their timber to and yet Forestry department maintains that they have no capacity to satisfy the market which is very wrong”, he said.
Chilatu explained that the timber from Tanzania and Malawi is substandard because some of it is genetically modified and is not grown according to ethical forest procedures adding that there are certain procedures that need to be followed when one is growing trees for commercial purposes but the farmers that are growing timber in those two countries are not following the procedure.
“The timber that is grown by the statutory government institution of Tanzania is very expensive and it doesn’t come to Zambia. The timber that comes to Zambia is substandard because it can’t be exported because it’s not grown according to forestry ethics so that’s how come it’s cheaper”, he said.
He mentioned that the landing cost of that timber in Zambia is around K100-K110 for a 50 by 150 therefore even if it is sold at K150, one is able to make a profit but the locals are buying very expensive timber from the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) and cannot compete with that price.
“So when we move timber from the Copperbelt to Lusaka, our landed cost is K150 so that’s what makes it very difficult for us to compete with that timber and most of our customers were coming from the Congo to the Copperbelt to buy timber but now what has happened is that the Tanzanian timber is proving to be cheaper so they would rather go to Tanzania, we are losing out on business and forex”, he said.
