Abstract:

Increased demand for timber in Uganda has caused scarcity of the earlier ^well-known M and
commonly used tree species in the furniture industry, leading to a shift to non-traditional tree species,
A study >vas therefore conducted between September 2004 and December 2005 in Masaka District^
with the objectives of determining the ^non-traditional^ tree species used in the furniture industry
and the reasons for their choice. Sixty furniture workshops were surveyed in five divisions ofiMasaka
Municipality. Data were collected using questionnaires and ethnographic styled interviews. The
SPSS and Excel computer programmes were used to determine percentage use of the various tree
species in the furniture industry. It was found that Xylopia eniinii, Grivellia robusta. Jacaranda
mimosfolia, Artocarpous heterophyllus, Mangijera indica, Cojfea robusta and Ficus natelensis
were the most used ^non-traditionaV' tree species. These species were chosen because they were
strong, available, cheap, preferred by customers^ had nice finished appearance and could easily be
worked with the available technology^. The increasing use of these ^non-traditional tree species
especially those that produce edible fruits such as Mangifera indica and Artocarpous heterophyllus
is a threat to the sustainability of rural livelihoods. There is need to undertake research on the
long-term performance of perishable species such as A. heterophylus in the furniture industry. Fast
growing tree species such as Pin us caribe a should be planted to cater for the increasing demand of
furniture products. Provenance trials on most imported species earlier mentioned such, as Khaya
spp need to be carried out to verify their growth potentials in the district