Cameroon's Logging Industry: Structure, Economic Importance and Effects of Devaluation

Abstract

"The forest cover of Cameroon consists of about 22.5 million hectares of closed forests. Of these, productive forests on drained land are estimated to cover 17.5 million hectares while the extent of very degraded and swampy forests are 4.5 and 0.5 million hectares respectively (C t 1993). With these forest resources, Cameroon now plays a leading role in tropical timber production in Africa. Because of poor road systems, logging was not an attractive business until the mid-1980s. Only a few logging companies, mostly owned by foreigners, were operating during that period. The country received hard currency mainly from the export of oil and agricultural products such as cocoa, coffee and cotton. Timber played a less important role for the national economy and, as a result, timber resources were preserved."