Some selected staff of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of the Forestry Commission have undergone a 4 – day intensive training at the Corporate Headquarters of FC to hone their skills in wood identification for the purposes of timber inspection, monitoring process and trade. This training forms part of a United States Forest Service and UNIDO funded international partnerships to improve timber tracking and timber forensics in Ghanaian timber .
The purposes of the training were to streamline the wood identification workflow and equip wood inspectors and the National Monitoring Team with the requisite skill and technology to identify wood species which to a larger extent, improve international trade and curb the trafficking of rosewood and other timber species.
Trainees were also introduced to and taught how to use the Xylorix Pocket Wood App; an application designed with modern technology to help its users identify types of wood species with ease.
In his address, the Chief Executive of FC, Mr. John Allotey, stated that Ghana has been enacting and enforcing laws intended to ensure that wood and wood derived products are legally sourced and he believes that, that training will equip trainees with the needed skill and technology for accurate wood identification, aid in combating timber trafficking, improve revenue generation and facilitate sustainable management of the country’s forest resources.