SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM EQUATORIA TEAK COMPANY

I’m pleased to report we’ve had a good year in Nzara, South Sudan. The rains have been favourable and, thanks to hard work from all the team, we planted more than 200 hectares of teak and restored the 150 ha, which had been partially burnt by fires. We were very proud to showcase our progress to a series of visitors, including national and local government officials, representatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the company’s Board of Directors (pictured below).

The rains have come to an end, signalling a switch of focus from planting and weeding to fire prevention. You’ll remember from my last newsletter that fires are a big concern here, so work is underway preparing fire-lines, stationing water bowsers in the critical areas and educating the community on the harm the fires can do to property and how to manage without them.

A key factor which will help reduce the number of fires is the fantastic uptake we have had from local communities for our Excelling in Excelsa coffee program, which will revive the local coffee industry. More than 1000 outgrowers have planted approximately 225 ha of seedlings; in 2023 we are expecting to increase both the number of outgrowers and the planted area per farmer and remain on the lookout for investors and partners to support us on this journey. Here’s a great paper by Aaron Davis, our friend and supporter at Kew Gardens, about how Excelsa is steadily gaining traction internationally.