The Rainforests of Cameroon - PROFOR

In-Depth Analysis of Impacts 95Because excess processing capacity often contributes to illegal loggingin tropical forest countries, it is vital to monitor. 17 The most recentdata (Fochivé 2005) found installed capacity to be 300,000 cubic metersin excess of estimated sustainable harvests of major timber species. 18Although surplus capacity appears to offer incentives for a processorto seek illegal sources of timber, it is important to recognize that processorsdo not necessarily choose to operate at 100 percent capacityall of the time. Cameroon still exports 150,000–200,000 cubic metersof logs annually. A company may decide to operate mills at or underfull capacity depending on international prices and its marketing strategyfor processed wood versus logs. The government still issues rights toventes de coupe (about 60 are harvested every year), whose productioncomplements that of UFAs. Additionally, some potential may exist fortimber-deficit companies to acquire timber from companies whose supplyexceeds their processing capacity. A comparison of each company’sraw material requirements and supplies of timber from UFAs under itscontrol indicates that 35 Cameroon-based companies lack sufficient rawmaterial from their UFA concessions and must procure it from externalsources, and 34 have a surplus of raw material. 19 Among the industrialgroups, 2 had potential surpluses and 17 had potential deficits. Adjustmentsare thus still under way in UFA control, company ownership,installed capacity, and timber sourcing. Local trade between companiesmay become more common.Employment in the industry. Despite a reduction in the volume of timberharvested between 1998 and 2004, the number of employees in theindustry increased (figure 5.9). Though relatively modest, this increaseconceals more significant changes:• Employment in logging has declined by 20 percent, and employmentin processing has risen by 25 percent.• Processing units have relocated from rural to urban areas to attract aworkforce that is more qualified to run more sophisticated processingunits. At the same time, smaller and informal enterprises supplyinglocal markets have fostered employment in rural areas (see the nextsection). Delivered by The World Bank e-library to:The World Bank• The nature of the workforce IP : 192.86.100.34 is changing. Companies that formerlyhired only mechanical Mon, engineers 09 Nov 2009 and 17:06:18 technicians to manage loggingoperations have started to hire professional foresters to develop andimplement management plans.(c) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank