Extent of integration in the Ghanaian sawmill industry
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Date
1998-02-15
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Abstract
A survey into the extent of integration in the sawmill industry in Ghana has been conducted. Questionnaires were administered to Thirty (30) sawmills and personal interviews were conducted in some institutions directly related to the industry.
Private Ghanaian entrepreneurs dominate the industry with respect to forward integrated sawmills and most of these sawmills do not own concession. The structure of the sawmill industries studied reveals a vertical growth rather than a horizontal one, but this is not well developed. Marketing of the downstream products was export oriented with little attention paid to the local market.
The results of the survey also revealed that constraints inhibiting sawmill integration are raw material supply, marketing, finance, technology and management. Utilisation of wood residue has not achieved it fullest impact as far as the forward integrated sawmills are concerned. Based on the above problems it is recommended that to successfully expand exports of higher valued wood products from Ghana we need to integrate in the forward direction by evolving strategies which will combat and eradicate the identified constraints in the tertiary sector and practically plunge the sector onto a stage capable of being highly competitive in the international market. It is strongly believed that this approach holds a promising future for the sustainability of the sawmill industry in Ghana.
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Wood Technology and Management, 1998