Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Wavell Standa-Gunda and Oliver Braedt 191

The diversity of types of carvings is relatively high. The eight main product

types are sold are produced from mainly six different tree species, thus

increasing product variation even further to about 36 different wood products

(Table 2). There is a close linkage between product type and the tree species

used to produce them.

By far the most common species on the market along the Masvingo–

Beitbridge road is Afzelia quanzensis (pod mahogany), followed by Combretum

imberbe (leadwood), Kirkia acuminata (bastard marula), Pterocarpus

angolensis (mukwa) and Dalbergia melanoxylon (African blackwood). Although

over half of the products were made out of A. quanzensis, its predominance

at most of the markets is not a reflection of its abundance in the forest.

Pricing of products

The pricing of products is a complex issue. Prices are set as a result of knowledge

of previous market transactions, characteristics of buyers and needs of the

trader at the time of transaction. The buyer is usually characterised as either

Main species Volume Average prices

(m^3 ) (US$/piece)

Small Medium Large

(0.001 to (0.02 to (0.2 to

0.01 m^3 ) 0.1 m^3 ) 0.5 m^3 )

Afzelia quanzensis 79 4.7 28.8 342.9 Animals, abstracts

Pterocarpus angolensis 10 4.7 28.8 342.9 Animals, abstracts

Combretum imberbe 42 9.0 42.0 393.8 Human heads,

figures

Kirkia acuminata 13 4.0 22.3 64.0 Animals (giraffes),

mortars, cooking

utensils

Dalbergia melanoxylon 5 5.4 11.2 — Walking

sticks,spears

Spirostachys africana < 1 5.4 11.2 — Walking sticks,

spears

Ozoroa insignis ssp. < 1 4.7 28.8 180.0 Animals (eagles)

reticulata

Albizia amara < 1 4.7 27.0 180.0 Animals

Sclerocarya birrea < 1 3.5 18.0 45.0 Household items

Berchemia discolor < 1 9.0 42.0 393.8 Human heads,

figures

Soapstone 111.6 4.0 24.3 — Animals, abstracts

Table 2. Volumes and prices of woodcarvings according to species used for products

on the Masvingo–Beitbridge road in 1997 (n = 27 markets, one time survey)

At the time of the whole road survey US$1 = Z$11.30.

Source: Braedt and Standa-Gunda 2000.

Main product type

11woodcarving.p65 191 22/12/2004, 11:05