Bridging the Gap: linking timber trade with infrastructural ...

Figure 8
Sawn wood and logs shipped from major ports, 2000-2001 (m 3 round wood equivalent)
Port 2000 2001
Sawn wood
Mtwara 510 43
Lindi 943 0
Kilwa 1 824 2 257
Logs
Mtwara 1 631 120
Lindi 30 0
Kilwa 0 0
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Mtwara Lindi Kilwa
2000 2001 2000 2001
Timber
Logs
Source: Tanzania Harbours Authority, Port Manager Mtwara, 2002.
Credit: Simon Milledge/ TRAFFIC East/
Southern Africa
Logs ready for export, Kilwa
Masoko, October 2002.
However, in addition to these official shipments from
designated ports, large quantities of sawn wood (and charcoal)
is also known to be transported from smaller ports lacking
government checkpoints along the coastline to Zanzibar and
Mafia Island. Some of this wood is subsequently exported
from Zanzibar. The majority of this wood is cut into planks
using pitsaws and later transported to these minor ports using
bicycles. Teams of six to eight bicycles are common, each
carrying six planks every journey. Dhows are used to transport
the wood, mostly to Zanzibar, with up to 600 planks carried on
each trip. A maximum of two trips can be made in one month.
Team of bicycles carrying planks to coastal
ports, Kilwa District.
Credit: Simon Milledge/ TRAFFIC
East/Southern Africa
Shipment of timber across Rufiji River
Ndundu ferry crossing
During the three-month period from 15 th October 2001 to 14 th January 2002, an estimated 10 500 m 3
wood (round wood equivalent) was shipped north across the Rufiji River via the Ndundu ferry, according
to data collected by research assistants. Planks constituted 85% of the trade (approximately 8950 m 3 )
whilst logs amounted to 1545 m 3 (Table 11).
A very rough estimate of the total quantity of timber products transported northwards over Ndundu ferry
during 2001 can be calculated using Ndundu vehicle records. These records provide monthly totals for
vehicles from different weight classes crossing the ferry and show seasonal variations throughout the
year. During 2001, a total of 3933 3-14 t vehicles (the weight of vehicles known to carry timber
products) were recorded as using the ferry, of which 1017 (26%) crossed during the months of October-
December. If it assumed that the total quantity of products crossing via ferry is directly proportional to
the number of vehicles, then the volume of wood products ferried north during 2001 could be on the order
of 40 400 m 3 . However, this calculation is likely to be an overestimate owing to seasonal variation in
goods transported; October and November are peak months for timber trade across the river, coinciding
as they do with the dry season.
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