Booming products made from encroacher bush

Namibian encroacher bush offers numerous end use opportunities through value addition. The availability of such wood from encroacher bush has promoted the development of different value added products for Namibia. There are number of common products that can be made and these ranges from poles, droppers, woodchips, briquettes (compressed fire wood), firewood, animal feed and charcoal. These products are being utilised for heating, cooking and firing of industrial boilers for electricity.  Firewood is one of the most common uses in communal areas.

Other products such as charcoal and animal feed are more commercially promising, with charcoal placing Namibia on top of the export range.  A survey on bush-based fodder production revealed that about 12 farmers in Namibia are currently producing for subsistence use and emergency feed.  Namibia is the fifth charcoal exporter worldwide, exporting about 37 percent of wood charcoal see (see more on trade flows here.)