Agriculture & Forestry
From The Report: Gabon 2012
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Stimulating investment in agriculture is considered a crucial part of diversifying Gabon’s economy and reducing dependency on food imports. The government is currently supporting a two-track investment programme that will encourage agro-industrial projects to increase the sector’s contribution to GDP and support small-scale farmers to boost production for local markets. Gabon has great potential for cash crops and recent increases in investment are likely to scale up production of rubber, palm oil, coffee, cocoa and sugar. The country has signed agreements with foreign companies to develop palm oil plantations, as well as a rubber plantation and processing plant. The timber market, which makes up 6% of non-hydrocarbons GDP, was dealt a blow with the raw timber export ban in 2010 – a ruling that bankrupted many small producers. However, the number of local processing facilities is rapidly rising and the government is focusing on increasing downstream activity in the segment.

This chapter contains interviews with Julien Nkoghe Bekale, Minister of Agriculture; and Ernst A Brugger, Chairman, Precious Woods.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Keeping it close: Major investments will develop domestic resources
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The continued work to stimulate agricultural investment in Gabon is seen as a critical component of an effort to diversify the economy and reduce dependence on food imports. Despite a fertile climate, abundant annual rainfall and vast expanses of untapped agricultural land, Gabon imports the vast majority of its food needs each year at a cost of around CFA150bn (€225m). The timber industry also contributes roughly 6% of non-hydrocarbons GDP. The government is currently pursuing a two-track…

Interview

OBG talks to Julien Nkoghe Bekale, Minister of Agriculture, Husbandry, Fisheries and Rural Development
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Interview: Julien Nkoghe Bekale To what extent can Gabon engage in import substitution for foodstuffs and agricultural products? JULIEN NKOGHE BEKALE: Under the Emerging Gabon strategy, the objective for the agriculture, fishing and animal husbandry sectors is to reduce food imports by up to fourfold. As to how to do this, the answer is simple: We have to increase agricultural production. The first way to do this is to encourage small-scale family agriculture. The second is to foster intensive…

Interview

OBG talks to Ernst A Brugger, Chairman, Precious Woods
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Interview: Ernst A Brugger How does the development of the forestry sector in Gabon compare to that of other countries? ERNST A BRUGGER: Gabon is an exceptionally rich country in tropical forests with low demographic pressure and important reserves in natural resources. The country is a leader in sustainability in Africa, as demonstrated by the government’s Gabon Vert (Green Gabon) initiative, and it has a modern, strict forestry law. The government is committed to local wood processing to create…

Analysis

Cashing in: Rubber and palm oil projects should help stimulate the sector
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Increased public and private investment is needed to revitalise Gabon’s agriculture sector and increase its contribution to GDP beyond the current level of 3.8%. Gabon’s rich natural environment, conducive to many agricultural products, has already drawn the attention of international investors. Two new joint ventures in cash crops set to begin in 2012-13 should help to harness the country’s considerable potential. Operator Société d’Investissement pour l’Agriculture Tropicale…

Analysis

A cut above: Efforts are under way to maximise the value of timber processing
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With almost 14m ha of exploitable rainforest, 400 species of wood and one of the lowest levels of deforestation in the world, tropical rainforests are some of Gabon’s most abundant and promising resources. The forestry industry has traditionally been focused on raw timber exports, with over 60% of production going directly to markets in Europe and Asia. As part of its effort to diversify the economy and boost local industry, Gabon is working to maximise the value of its timber operations through…