Uganda will need to increase timber imports to meet the needs of its burgeoning construction industry unless encroachment on forest reserves is reduced, according to a report in the Kampala-based Monitor.
The country’s ministry of water and environment believes the current volume of standing timber is due to last up to eight years, after which the government will have to import timber to meet growing demands for the booming construction.
Uganda’s overall construction industry saw a 3% increase in its prices during the third quarter of 2007, with timber prices rising by 3.5% year-on-year in the third quarter, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
