Takoradi, Dec. 2, GNA - Ghana's exports in wood products dropped from 352,167 cubic metres valued at about 138 million Euros between January and September 2005 to 328,613 cubic metres valued at about 126 million Euros for the same period this year.

The drop is attributed to factors that include high production costs; the use of obsolete machines and equipment and difficult access to wood raw materials.

These were contained in performance report signed by Mr Robert Benjamin Wilson, Assistant Public Relations Manager of Timber Export Development Board and copied to the Ghana News Agency at Takoradi.

The United States, India and Italy were among the 10 major destinations for the country's wood products that imported about 98 million Euros worth of wood products or 77.58 per cent of total wood exports. The Report said wood exports to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) market registered significant increase by 113.83 per cent from about nine million Euros in January to September 2005 to more than 19 million Euros during the same period this year.

Nigeria emerged as the most lucrative destination in the ECOWAS Sub-Region for Ghana's wood products, importing about 13 million Euros worth of wood products; ranking the fourth highest worldwide.

Nigeria also paid the highest unit price of 321 Euros per cubic metre for plywood.

The Report said export of secondary wood products, comprising kiln-dried and air dried lumber that included veneer, boule and plywood topped the products mix with export values accounting for 111,837,745 Euros or 88.89 per cent earnings and 292,629 cubic metres or 89.05 per cent of total wood exports for the period under review.

Veneer bounced back from sliding performance levels in the third quarter of 2005 and showed signs of sustained recovery during the third quarter of 2006, the Report said.

Prices for rotary veneer improved significantly from 205 Euros per cubic metre to 221 Euros per cubic metre.

Overseas interest in the country's tertiary wood products was fairly keen, the Report said, adding that prices of furniture parts and panel products remained generally stable on the major markets particularly in the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

India was the only country that showed keen interest in lesser-used wood species such as duabankye; aprokuma; tetekon; afina; yaya and anata with improved prices especially for industrial boules.

Other lesser-used wood species included kpatro; bonsamdua; hotrohotro; bodwe; rubber wood; watapuo and ohaa registered satisfactory degree of acceptability on the world market, the Report said.