Le bois, un atout pour la diffusion des plantations d’acacias gommiers au Nord du Cameroun

Abstract

The region of Garoua in northern Cameroon enjoys a Sudanian climate. Due to populations migrating there from the more arid sahelian areas, the tree savannahs have been cultivated for some thirty years. Continuous farming and overgrazing rapidly lead to loss of soil fertility and the land reclamation front is advancing southwards, threatening the protected areas. During the 1990s, various development programmes encouraged the establishment of 2,800 small farmer plantations of Acacia senegal covering a quarter of a hectare each. They were promoted on the basis that they could restore soil fertility and would produce arabic gum. In 2011, the gum industry was doing poorly, to the extent that farmers and development agencies began to lose interest in these plantations. For the purpose, together with the farmers, of evaluating the profitability of these acacia stands, on the assumption that they would be used as an enhanced fallow system, a study was conducted to assess a small farmer plantation aged 15 years. This stand was logged and its wood production evaluated. The production of freshly felled wood was estimated to be 39.6 m3/ha, sold as fuel for a price of 1,090 €/ha. Over the plantation’s life cycle, this income turned out to be higher than income from gum, estimated to be 760 €/ha for an eight-year harvesting period (between the ages of eight and 15 years). The farmers expressed their desire to extend the plantations, particularly after realising the significance of wood production. This opens up prospects for reviving Acacia senegal plantations which gum production and soil fertility restoration would not have created, possibly with financial support for carbon storage.