THE Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) will promote increased production of value-added forest products in 2013, Commissioner James Singh announced recently.
“We have been a nation of exporters of logs and we are trying to move more into the area of value-added exports,” he explained. Singh said the GFC currently has three kiln drying facilities which are not fully operational and the agency is in discussion with some Private Sector personnel to operationalise those kilns.
“They will serve as models for replication by other stakeholders,” he posited.
The products Singh highlighted include shingles, furniture and components, flooring, paneling and siding.
However, other sources have said Guyana must maximise the value it receives from its forestry resources for the industry to be sustainable and truly contribute to the national economy.
Some exporters of raw logs have been reluctant, though, to undertake value-added activities as they have found ready markets for their exports in Asia, Europe and China and the Caribbean, including Barbados.
“This saves them the trouble of having to set up industries and manage employees and equipment. They also make a faster turnover,” the sources said.
But Commissioner Singh maintained that market development and promotion is important.
”We have a lot of species in Guyana and some of them  are called the lesser used but they are comparable, in terms of properties of the better known types but they are not being accepted in the market,” he pointed out.
“So we intend to work with the Forest Producers Association and other stakeholders to promote these,” Singh indicated.