Timber industry to lose 10,000 jobs

At least 10,250 workers in the timber industry would lose their jobs if the government goes ahead with its planned compulsory acquisition of forest plantations for its land resettlement programme, the ‘Zimbabwe Standard’ reported on Tuesday. The Zimbabwe Timber Producers’ Federation (ZTPF), which contributed significantly to Zimbabwe’s industrial output last year, has registered its displeasure over the government’s intention to compulsorily acquire forest plantations for resettlement.

Nigel Payne, chairman of the federation, said members of his federation are concerned about the government’s decision to designate 55 timber plantations and farms for acquisition. “This has been probably one of the most, if not actually the most difficult year in living memory for the industry,” Payne said at the federation’s annual general meeting in the eastern city of Mutare. “Land tenure and the security of the land is paramount to the continued survival of the timber industry.”

He said although the government had in the past given assurances to the timber industry that forest plantations would be spared from the resettlement programme, plantations continued to be listed for compulsory acquisition and resettlement.

Payne said that many of the properties being seized were established plantations that had been growing timber for many years. He said the farms and plantations supplied 65 percent of the wood fibre used in the manufacture of newsprint and 90 percent of the wood fibre used to make paper packaging.

Forestry is a long-term venture requiring extensive capital investment with returns only realised at the end of the growing cycles, ranging from eight to 30 years. Long-term depletion of the forest resource base, Payne warned, would have disastrous effects on the viability of the timber industry. He urged the government to recognise the importance of the timber industry and make a “clear and unambiguous” statement on the security of tenure of timber plantation land.