Demand and Supply of Wood for Drum Making in Central Uganda

Drum making is an important economic activity in Mpigi district, central Uganda. Scarcity of the desired tree species for drum making has raised concern about the future of the business. A study was carried out to assess the demand and supply of wood for making drums and ascertain whether the supply of logs from the wild is sustainable. Drum makers in 28 stalls were interviewed to collect information on the volume of wood required for making drums. Thirty sample plots were established in Degeya, Lufuka and Mpanga forests to determine the potential supply of logs. A combined Huber and Newton's formulae and Von Mantel's method were used to compute the volume of wood that could be obtained from the forests. The wood used in drum making is in critical supply and the annual demand exceeds supply by 610 m3. Harvesting of the tree species desired for drum making from the forests is not sustainable. On-farm cultivation of the trees by the local communities is recommended in order to supply logs for drum making and reduce pressure on the forests.