Huge quantities of charcoal will henceforth be produced from sawmills in forest exploitation areas in the East Region for sale especially in the three northern regions to meet demand for charcoal fuel by households and help prevent deforestation that is becoming the main cause of desertification.
This was the main objective of an agreement signed on Tuesday 25 October in Mbang, Kadey Division of the East Region between a logging company, “Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé,” SFID, and the German Technical Cooperation, GIZ. According to a press release published by GIZ in the Tuesday November 8 issue of Cameroon Tribune, the agreement is for the launch of a pilot project to produce charcoal from logging residues for sale to help raise funds for the Mbang Local Development Fund, FDL. The FDL finances, in a participatory manner, all local micro-projects for the socio-economic wellbeing of community people in SFID logging concessions.
The release also notes that the signing ceremony followed the holding of the first steering committee meeting between the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF, representatives of Mbang Council and Mbang FDL. Production of charcoal in the company’s sawmill is expected to begin soon as the construction of four metallic ovens and warehouses has already been completed while that of the brick oven is still going on. Some local Common Initiative Groups, CIGs, have also been involved in the project.
While assuring that training of stakeholders will continue, the press release notes that management procedures have been adopted and the production of charcoal will start soon since SFID has obtained the authorisation to process sawmill residues into charcoal.
According to GIZ officials, the project is to ensure better use of logging residues by promoting income-generating activities to help curb energy deficits in the northern regions and reduce rampant felling of trees for firewood.
Recent studies on charcoal consumption in Garoua, Maroua, Ngaoundere and Kousseri in the North, Far North and Adamawa Regions respectively, put the FCFA 6-billion business at 24,000 metric tonnes per year. So far, small-scale production methods supply at most 8,431 tonnes per annum.
