African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) is a prime candidate for farm forestry in Australia’s northern dry tropics, with dried & dressed timber potentially fetching prices around $3,000 to $5,500 per cubic metre, new research shows.

The findings result from a new study — African Mahogany Grown in Australia – Wood quality and potential uses — launched today in Kununurra, WA, by RIRDC Chairperson Mary Boydell.

Ms Boydell is visiting the Kununurra area as part of a series of field visits by the RIRDC Board to research projects in northern Australia.

“This project is an example of the contribution that we can make to Northern Australia through industry-focused R&D,” Ms Boydell said.

 “The research will assist all those involved in growing African mahogany to maximise the value of the timber,” she said.

The research was funded by the Joint Venture Agroforestry Program (JVAP), a collaborative initiative managed by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), with partners Land and Water Australia and the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Corporation.

The research was conducted in the Northern Territory by researchers from the Department of Primary Industry Fisheries and Mining, in collaboration with researchers from Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, at two research sites near Darwin; and its findings are relevant across the dry tropics.

African mahogany is a high quality, medium-weight hardwood has been used for furniture, boat building, joinery, veneers, and a range of other purposes.

“In Australia, the estimated gross value of production for the forestry sector is over $1600 million per annum, including around $800 million from hardwood species before processing.  Farm forests and joint ventures currently make up 11 per cent of plantations, with a significant increase in farm planting since 1995,” she said.

“However, new industries, like farm forestry, are risky. They have basic information needs, like the potential impacts of disease, processing requirements, market information, and profitability,” she said.

“High establishment costs and long times for a return on investment make tree crops especially risky. This why R&D to meet these information needs is important to underpin investment and industry development,” she said.

The Joint Venture Agroforestry Program invests in R&D for profitable farm forestry that delivers natural resource management outcomes.

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