Value Chain Analysis of <i>Eucalyptus</i> Wood Products in the Blue Nile Highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia
<i>Eucalyptus wood products</i> contribute significantly to the income of smallholder growers in many parts of Ethiopia. This has incentivized smallholders to convert arable lands to <i>Eucalyptus</i> plantation. Given the limited attention and availability of empirical evide...
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/e9d4f142f7ed49799a676cce31d75268 |
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| Sumario: | <i>Eucalyptus wood products</i> contribute significantly to the income of smallholder growers in many parts of Ethiopia. This has incentivized smallholders to convert arable lands to <i>Eucalyptus</i> plantation. Given the limited attention and availability of empirical evidence, this study examined the <i>Eucalyptus</i> wood products value chain in terms of the actors engaged, the type and importance of channels, margins analysis and the overall value chain governance in the main <i>Eucalyptus</i> growing areas of the Blue Nile highlands of Northwestern Ethiopia in 2019/2020. Sources of data were randomly selected 388 <i>Eucalyptus</i> grower households and 166 <i>Eucalyptus</i> wood traders, complemented by an interview with key informants, group discussions and direct observations. The results reveal that a total of 2,051,114.75 m<sup>3</sup> of <i>Eucalyptus</i> wood was produced in the study area and <i>Eucalyptus</i> plantations are expanding over crop lands at a rate of 102.35 ha a year on average. Many actors involved handle a large volume of wood in eight main channels with a high disparity in the shares of the margins. We found that <i>Eucalyptus</i> is the main source of cash earning, contributing about 45.76% to the total annual income of smallholder growers. Little policy attention, a lack of sectoral integration, missing infrastructure and an absence of modern wood processing factories are among the key challenges impeding the performance of the wood sector value chain. There are however existing opportunities for the development of the wood sector value chain such as favorable growing conditions and the spectacular growing demand for wood products. The study provides valuable insights about the wood sector value chain and actions towards ensuring sustainable value chains and the commercialization of the sector. |
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