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Government has intercepted 1000 logs of timber which was illegally transported from Vubwi district to Mchinji District in Malawi.
Provincial Forestry Officer, Agnes Chinyama, told ZANIS in an interview that logs believed to have been cut from the Mukula tree were transported to Malawi through Sindamisale border without authority.
Mrs Chinyama said a joint team of law enforcement officers with the help of authorities in Mchinji district, managed to recover the logs.
Mrs Chinyama said government is concerned with the increase in illegal timber trade in Eastern Province.
Mrs Chinyama said her office has established that the logs were procured in Vubwi District and transported to Mchinji District in Malawi without authority.
She stated that government worked with authorities in Malawi to crack down on illegal timber trade.
Mrs Chinyama disclosed that no arrests have been made but noted that investigations are underway.
She stated that government will ensure that the people involved in the illegal transportation of the logs will be brought to book.
She says after investigating the matter, the Malawian government has agreed to return the tree logs.
Eastern Province has in the recent past recorded an increase in the illegal sale of timber.
About Mukula tree
Wood Species-African Padauk
African padauk
Latin name: Pterocarpus soyauxii
Family:Fabaceae
Genus: Pterocarpus
Different name: African、padauk、Padauk、Padouk（England、German、Holland），Camwood、Barwood（England），Osun（Nigeria），Palo rojo（Equatorial Guinea），Mbel、Mbil、Muenge（Cameroon、Gabon），N`gula、Bosulu、Corail、Nkula、Nzali、Mukula、Mongola（Zaire），Kisese（Congo），Girassonde、Tacula（Angola）.
Distribution and feature
African padauk belonging to megaphanerophyte,can grows more than 30 meters tall and 1.5m long diameter.It is normally in tropical zone and largely import from central and west Africa, Cameroon, Gabon ,Congo.
Structural feature
Bark:0.5-1.5cm thick, friability,rough,easy to spall. Cortex is taupe and the bast is red brown. There are more developed phloem fiber surround the phloem.
Cross section: Sapwood is obviously different from heartwood. Heart wood for the new sections color is red brown, and turns into puce in the air for a long time.Sapwood is yellowandwhite,5-8cm wide.There is not obvious annual ring.
Macroscopic structure:diffuse-porous wood.We can see pores by eye. Solitary pore is more than multiple pore. There are vegetable glue and sediment.
Property of African Padauk Wood
Glossy, faint aroma, straight grain mixing with interlocked grain, medium weight,hardness, intensity and dry shrinkage,good processing property.
Utilities
It can be made in high class furniture,plywood,wood flooring, toolholder,carve, insulation board,etc.
