Asian furniture imports hammer Senegalese carpenters

10/3/2005

DAKAR, Oct 2 (AFP): Rising costs for timber and cheap pre- fabricated imports from Asia have taken the shine off the handmade wood furniture market in Senegal, once a major industry for the west African state.

Masseck Diop, president of the National Organisation of Woodworkers (ONP-Bois) said that mid-quality wood known as "linky" now costs roughly 580 euros per cubic metre-up from 137 euros five years ago.

Prices have soared even higher for the top-quality "Djibouti" timber, which can reach 760 euros per cubic metre, three times its cost in 2000.

Part of the problem for Senegalese woodworkers is that the timber used to build the beds, wardrobes and high-backed chairs beloved by the middle-class is not grown in the country and must be imported from places like Cameroon and Gabon.

And with unscrupulous merchants creating supply shortages by holding back stock to drive the price up, woodworkers are getting hammered, Diop complained.

The competition with prefab and low-quality furniture imports from Asia has had a predictable result, yet another nail in the coffin of Africa's ability to compete on the global market.

According to ONP-Bois, the industry has suffered losses as high as 27.5 million euros annually due to the Asian imports, often knocked together from plywood or particle board.

Full bedroom sets are available in Dakar for 300 euros, considerably less than the 1,500 euros needed to pay for a handmade Senegalese set.

senegalese are already taken some France's call centres : they are into out soucing big time