Kampala — A SECURE land tenure system and strong public institutions should be established to facilitate the fast growing private forest plantations.

Jim Ball, the chairman of the Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) and a former forester in Uganda, said because of the increasing role of the private sector in forestry, it was important to have facilitating policies and laws.

"Though the responsibility of forestry has been moving to the private sector, it has not been accompanied by consistent policies and legislation for promotion of investment," he observed.

"Support is needed from the public service in form of control, training and extension services, but the capacity of public institutions is weak," Ball said during a commercial forestry investors' workshop at Fairway Hotel in Kampala. The workshop was organised by the CFA and the Sawlog Production Grant Scheme.

He said support to private sector plantations could be in form of direct grants, subsidies, low-interest loans and tax concessions.

Aston Kajara, the investment state minister, lauded commercial farmers for their long term investment, saying they had planted 10,000 hectares and created over 5,000 jobs.

Kajara said the number of jobs created would triple when the forests mature and industries are set up.

"Uganda's exports will also be diversified," he said.

Kajara said commercial forestry farming by the private sector was new in East Africa and everybody was learning a lot about it.

"It is unique because the investor puts money into it over 10-20 years before getting any returns," he said.