Forestry research in Zim
FORESTRY research in Zimbabwe dates back to 1948 when a specialised Research Branch, initially concentrating on studies of indigenous trees, was set up within the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture.
Intensive studies on testing, breeding and establishing exotic trees for commercial plantations began shortly after the Forestry Commission was created in 1954.
The opening of the Forestry Research Stations and the John Meikle Forest Research station in Penhalonga in the 1960s marked the beginning of substantial progress in species trials, and research into tree improvement and plantation management.
The initial emphasis on exotic softwoods (pines) for commercial timber plantations in the Eastern Highlands was extended to include hardwoods (mainly eucalypts) suitable for planting there and plantations and for woodlots of eucalypts remained the main focus of research throughout the 1970s.
Since 1981, there has been considerable expansion, with the establishment of the Tree Seed Centre, Biometrics, Entomology, Pathology, Social Forestry and the Mapping and Inventory Units.
Research has been the cornerstone of development in the country’s forest industries, and will continue to provide solutions for commercial, social and environmental problems, not only within Zimbabwe but also through our participation in regional and international research endeavours.
The merging of research and training aspects at Forestry Colleges in Mutare during the restructuring of the Forestry Commission in 2001 resulted in the establishment of the Research and Training Division (R&T) which brought about the fusion of research and development (R&D) and training function in forestry and wood processing for the Zimbabwe forest sector.
The two operational wings namely, the Research and the Training wing have thus co-existed since then and have contributed significantly to both human capital development in forestry and plantation forestry development in the country.
To date, the plantation forestry sector is contributing to employment creation and economic growth with a GDP contribution of approximately 3percent.
The Research wing is head-quartered in Harare at the Forest Research Centre in Highlands. It runs three field stations, namely John Meikle, Muguzo, and Chesa Forest Research Stations situated near Stapleford, Chimanimani and Bulawayo respectively.
One of the strategic biodiversity units of the Division is the Chirinda rainforest in Mount Selinda a few kilometres away from Chipinge town. The rainforest hosts a wide diversity of trees and butterfly species (some endemic to Chirinda).
The Training wing comprises two distinct colleges namely, Zimbabwe College of Forest (ZCF) and Forest Industries Training Centre (FITC).
ZCF and FITC are the only institutions offering technical level training in forestry to meet the forest sector needs in Zimbabwe and other countries in the Sadc region.
ZCF was established in 1946 while FITC was established in 1987 as the first regional training centre for primary forest industries in the Sadc region.
At both colleges, training is offered at certificate and diploma levels in addition to skills upgrading training through short courses offered to practising industry personnel.
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