College of Agricultural Sciences and Fisheries Technology

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Ox-logging productivity and cost in two industrial forest plantations in Malawi
(University of Dar es Salaam, 1984) Chamba, B. M.
Ox-skidding time study was carried out at Dedza Mountain Forest and Viphya Pulpwood Plantation (Mazamba) in Malawi, with the objective of quantifying the effect of stand and terrain factors on production rates and costs. The data was collected for Pinua patula thinnings and clearfelling and for Eucalyptus cloeziana thinning skidding operations. The results show that: Productive skidding time consisted of less than 65% of workplace time for pine and more than 80% for sucalypts. Regression analysis suggests that productive skidding time can be estimated as a function of skidding distance, volume per turn, number of logs per turn and slope. The average production rates for P. patula 2nd, 3rd, 4th thinnings and clearfelling were 1.27m3/WPH, 3.21m3/WPH, 1.65m3/WPH and 1.82m3/WPH respectively. Average skidding costs were 0.24 Mkwacha/m3, 0.00 Mkwacha/m3 and 0.18 Mkwacha/m3 and 0.16 Mkwacha/m3. As for E cloeziana one-man are and E. cloeziana two-man crew, the average production rates were 1.57m3/WPH whereas the average skidding costs were 0.38 Mkwacha/m3 and 0.52 Mkwacha/m3 respectively. Comparative analysis of oxen skidding and tractor skidding suggests that tractor skidding is 3 times more productive than of oxen. However, the unit skidding cost of oxen skidding is only 9% as expensive as that of tractors.