Original Research

Wood chip exports and the challenges faced by private pulpwood farmers in Southern KwaZulu-Natal

Lenny Naidoo, Mihalis Chasomeris
Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences | Vol 6, No 1 | a279 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jef.v6i1.279 | © 2018 Lenny Naidoo, Mihalis Chasomeris | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 June 2018 | Published: 30 April 2013

About the author(s)

Lenny Naidoo, NCT Durban Wood Chips (Pty) Ltd; and Graduate School of Business and Leadership, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Mihalis Chasomeris, Graduate School of Business and Leadership, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

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Abstract

The South African forestry industry contributes to the economic growth of the country by the planting of trees and the processing of these trees for the export market. The purpose of this study is to examine the trends in wood chip exports from the Port of Durban and to examine the stability and growth of private pulpwood production in Southern KwaZulu-Natal. The methodology used in this study includes questionnaires distributed to timber farmers and semi-structured interviews with respondents in forestry. The findings show that wood chip exports from Durban have increased between 2006 and 2011. Dominant challenges faced by the farmers were land reform, transportation costs and municipal rates. Land claims, road infrastructure, cash flow and variation in the demand for timber were the most challenging factors affecting private timber production.

Keywords

wood chip exports; pulpwood farmers; port of Durban; wood and paper production

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