Background

The rich forest resources of Bayelsa offer opportunities for investment in three major areas, namely timber and non-timber forest products (NTFP), mangrove resources and conservation.

Timber Processing

The fresh water and brackish water swamp forest, as well as the riparian forest formations in Bayelsa State, represent a rich ecosystem that is home to a variety of commercially important species of timbers. Some of the more common include irodo, bau, cotton tree, iron tree and mahogany. Forest timber supplies the building and construction trade, furniture makers and boat builders and chemical industries, as well as providing fuel wood and charcoal.
Sawdust is also useful for making particle and paper boards. Investment in these areas is possible in the small, medium and large scale.

Presently, timber felled in Bayelsa forests are transported as logs either by road or bonded and floated along the waterways to Port Harcourt sawmills in neighbouring Rivers State. Some is processed locally at small mills to feed the woodwork industry, timber sheds and the building and construction industries. A small amount of sawed wood is loaded for sale outside the state.

 Non Timber Forest Producst

Bayelsa forest also provide niches for a variety of bio-resources of high economic value. A variety of forest plants can be exploited for food, industry and medicines – for example, palms, wild fruits, spices and vegetables, rattans and canes. These non-timber forest products are currently under-utilized. The following investments can be development from the NTFPs.

Palm Wine - Raffia palm, from which palm wine is tapped, grows extensively in Bayelsa swamps and represents huge potential for industrial development. Spin-off area include: palm wine bottling plants for processing and storage of fresh palm wine for local consumption and export; distilleries for local production of gin for local consumption and export; factories for the production of dry yeast for baking and medicinal purposes plants for the production of industrial and laboratory grade ethyl alcohol (local gin has a high concentration of alcohol).

The raffia palm trade is extensive in the Ogbia, Sagbama, Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas of Bayelsa State. Communities of palm wine tappers create makeshift camps in the swamps where they distill palm wine into gin locally called kai-kai. Both fresh palm wine and gin are consumed locally and are very useful in herbal preparations for diseases like malaria and yellow fever, and gastro-intestinal problems. Gin is also sold out side the state.

Other useful products from raffia palm are raffia fibre and piassava, used for making of footmats and ropes, bamboo poles and thatch for roofing. These products can drive small-scale investments and create jobs.

Snail Farms - Snails, especially the giant African land snail, are locally hunted in Bayelsa State forest. This wild resources supports the livelihood of people who sell both live and prepared (fried) snails, usually at bus stops and in markets. This highly nutritious food is considered a delicacy in most parts of the country but demand presently outstrips supply. Snail farming , both in the natural and artificial environments and in medium and large-scale establishments, would certainly be a beneficial investment for Bayelsa. Snail shells may also be useful in animal feed production.

Bee Farming - Honey is undoubtedly a product of very high value. As a nourishing, energy-giving food source, it is considered to be one of the super nutritional terms. Locally, it is also valued for its medicinal properties. In Bayelsa, honey is obtained in the wild from forest honeybees, mostly in the northern part of the state and in the Southern Ijaw area. But honey can also be produced with less risk and greater productivity in bee-keeping farms. This is an undeveloped area locally offering a tremendous investment opportunity, given the local abundance of bees. Apiaries could be established in the extensive and relatively undisturbed forests in the upland and riverine parts of the state.

The state’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) is meanwhile encouraging interested indigenous farmers to go into bee-farming by providing training courses. In addition to honey, other products from bee farming are bee’s wax used in the production of candles and medical applications, and propolis, which is useful as an adhesive and also sold in the west as a herbal remedy. Agriculture in Bayelsa would produce honey and related products for local use and for export.

Mangrove Trees - The mangrove forest belt in Bayelsa State is massive, covering 3,107.76km2 or 22.88 per cent of the total land cover. It provides ecological niches for its associated biodiversity, with various species of flora and fauna yet largely untapped. Its resources include timber and logs, fuel wood and charcoal, shrimps and prawns, periwinkles, oysters, lobsters, salt, tannins and dyes. Many medicines are made from mangrove for the treatment of skin disorders, headaches, rheumatism, snakebites and ulcers. Locally, the use of leaves of the red mangrove to treat skin rashes and insect bites is well known. Products like pulp, rayon and toilet paper can also be derived from mangrove trees. Mangrove forests in Bayelsa are a rich sources of raw materials but remain underutilized.

Conservation

The forests are home to rare and endangered animal and plant species which must be protected to preserve the ecosystem and biodiversity. This underscores the importance of our forests. In Bayelsa State, with 3,801.06km2 of forest area making up 27.98 per cent of the total land cover, there is a rich variety of biological communities of rare plant and animal species that could be conserved for socio-economic benefits, including medical research. Local forests could be leased out for scientific research purposes, or for use as game reserves, where local fauna is conserved and visitors can watch animals in their natural habitat. The mangrove ecozone is a remarkably important habitat for birds, mammals, crustaceans and fish. Conservation could bring great economic gains in the short term as well as offering opportunities for patented discoveries originating from the forests of Bayelsa.