Plantations

The plantation sector has dominated forestry in Malawi for the last four decades. There is now a substantial softwood plantation resource and extensive estate plantings. Softwood plantations are of great importance in terms of economic development and in employment generation. Continued genetic improvement of softwood and hardwood plantation species offers considerable opportunities for increased productivity and economic development. Estate plantings provide vital fuel for the tea and tobacco industries, which earn some 80% of foreign exchange. Estate self-sufficiency in fuel and tree products is an important goal. Urban fuelwood supplies also draw increasingly on plantation technology. Scope exists for smallholders to contribute to both these aims given appropriate technologies. Research in Plantations forestry focuses at improving management and productivity of plantations. Priority research activities are: improving the supply of high quality propagation material, productivity and stand dynamics, diversifying plantation species, pest and disease control, harvesting and wood utilization.