46
from mangroves while the 42 source in the Greater Accra is largely from neem and the 44 in the Central Region from Cassia, neem and acacia plantations. The main plantation
sources for the Western Region are from spentold rubber trees particularly from the farms of the Ghana Rubber Estates Company, while the 8 plantation source in the Eastern Region is
from spent cocoa and orangecitrus plantations Figure 26. The mean size of plantation is 10 acres, ranging from 0.5 -100 acres Table 13. Western and Eastern Regions abounds in
natural forests, hence, these are also significant sources i.e. 22 and 36 respectively of fuelwood for fish smoking.
Table 13Mean size of fuelwood plantation owned for all regions combined
All regions Size of Fuelwood plantation owned acres
Std. Deviation N
Mean Minimum
Maximum 85
9.56 0.5
100 16.2
Figure 28 Fuelwood plantation sizes owned
4.2.8 Regulationscontrols on accessing fuelwood for harvesting and passage to market
Usually, a permit has to be acquired from the Forest Service Division’s forest district offices located in appropriate district capitals in the Western, Central and Eastern Regions before
harvestingcollection of firewood for commercial purposes in particularly forest reserves. Officially although harvesting of fuelwood is mainly from farmlands including fallows in the
off-reserve areas or private lands, a permit is also required from the FSD for commercial extraction. However, Figure 29 indicates that permit is hardly sought for harvesting. This is
either because producers lack knowledge on this procedure for off-reserve areas or it might be due the cumbersome procedure and cost involved in permit acquisition. Variable sums are
paid for an acre of fuelwood purchased from land and farm owners. GHC250-550 for mangrove in the Volta Region; GHC 40-2000 in the Western Region and GHC 100-300 per
acre in the Eastern Region. Indeed there are times that landowners request for fuelwood on their farmlands to be harvested to make room for farming. In these cases the harvester or
47
collector may seek permission and engage paid labour to collect and process the fuelwood for the market. According to producers transporting of fuelwood to the market or clients in
consuming areas could be tedious and goods could be impounded without a permit. In some cases some fees may be paid for a way bill at District Assembly revenue points situated at
exit points of villagestowns at the farm gate where the fuelwood is being transported.
Figure 29 Requisition for permit to harvest fuelwood for sale
Figure 30 Who grants permit for fuelwood harvesting
The standard procedure issued by the FSD for acquiring legal access for harvestingcollecting commercial quantities of rattan from the Government forest reserves is as follows:
I. Prospective collectorharvester first identifies the area for collection
II. Application for permit addressed to the District Forest Officer is filed
III. Verification of availability of fuelwood at the proposed areasite by Forestry
Department FSD staff
48
IV. Request approved upon satisfactory report from inspection of site
V. Payment of royaltypermit fee by successful applicant.
VI. Permit with a validity period of a day per specified quantity is issued after payment of
royalty fee VII.
Firewood collection or harvesting is done under supervision of FSD staff VIII. Conveyance certificate waybill is issued at a cost of GH¢25 with a validity period of
three days
before transporting
collected fuelwood
to its
destination
46
4.2. 9
