TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF LUMBER RECOVERY FROM HIGH FOREST TREE SPECIES IN SELECTED SAWMILLS OF SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

ABTRACT

This study investigates the technical performance efficiency (TPE) of twenty seven sawmills purposely selected and grouped into three classes :small1001ft3 /day based on their production capacities. 243 logs obtained from 20 species of wood sourced from Southwestern Nigeria were examined in 27 selected sawmills using the variables such as wood species, log sizes, shapes and sawkerf, which have direct impact on waste generated from sawn logs and log conversion efficiency. Whereas 135 structured questionnaire was used to obtain information relating to experience of headrig operators, age of machine, number of machine used for sawing operation, hands involved in operation and effective duration of operation while a model multiple factor equation was adopted to determine the over all performance efficiency of the assessed sawmills. The average TPE in the small scale sawmills was 53.41%, medium scale sawmills with 58.79% had the highest performance efficiency while large scale sawmills with 41.94% had the least TPE. The average lumber recovery (%LR) was 53.69%, large-sized diameter logs had the highest %LR of 56.48 and small sized logs had 51.77%. Ondo State had the highest mean %LR of 56.15 followed by Lagos (53.09%) and lastly by Oyo State (51.71%). Variations in log diameter classes had significant influence on %LR, slab volume and dust volume at (p