Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Chapter 17

Rattan exploitation in the Yaoundé

Region of Cameroon

Louis Defo^1

Common names Part of the Management Degree of Scale of Geographic

resource used transformation trade range

Maraca, Rattan, Stem Wild Medium International Large

Ékè

ABSTRACT

From 1996 to 2000 intensive investigations based on observations, surveys,

interviews and the use of standardised questionnaires were carried out in the

rattan sector in the Yaoundé region in Cameroon. The following data could be

summarised from this research:

a. Rattan (mainly Eremospatha macrocarpa and Laccosperma

secundiflorum and Laccosperma robustum) constitutes the most prized

non-timber forest products in the villages concerned and assumes an

undeniable economic, social and cultural importance. In the village

production system, it ranks second only after agriculture.

b. The exploitation of rattan is based exclusively on natural stands and is

not undertaken in a sustainable manner. This resource, access to which

is easy and free, is being subjected to considerable pressures. All this is

detrimental to its productive potential. This situation is partly

attributable to the inadequate and summary nature of the regulation.

c. Rattan is collected in the region mostly by young men, who process it

on the spot in villages or sell (the greatest part) of it in the unprocessed

state directly to craftsmen in Yaoundé. The conjunction of several factors

has led to an appreciable increase in the number of processing units

and the volume of rattan supply in this city in the course of the last few

years.

d. Rattan processing in Yaoundé is operated in a rudimentary manner by

about 100 small-scale enterprises run almost entirely by men. The output

of these processing units is of average or mediocre quality. It is sold

almost exclusively in the domestic market.

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