Agriculture & Forestry
From The Report: Gabon 2016
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Much attention is being focused on Gabon’s rural areas and on developing the 5m ha of fertile land it contains. While the country has one of the lowest population densities in sub-Saharan Africa, around 86% of its 1.8m inhabitants have opted to live in the major urban centres. As a result, the rural workforce is lacking and work is being undertaken to tackle this issue through advertising campaigns that convey the image of farmers as entrepreneurs. However, another challenge in terms of developing a rural workforce is a need for training facilities. From a forestry operator’s perspective, the cost of labour is also a key consideration.

This chapter includes a dialogue with Frederic Ober, Director-General, Precious Woods CEB; and Didier Balzaretti, Former Director-General, Rougier Gabon.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Seeds of growth: Efforts focus on boosting production and encouraging a new generation of farmers
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Much attention is being focused on Gabon’s rural areas and on developing the country’s roughly 5m ha of fertile land. While it is has one of the lowest population densities in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, around 86% of the country’s 1.8m inhabitants have opted to live in the major urban centres – namely Libreville, but also Port-Gentil and, to a smaller extent, Franceville. Urbanisation has been driven in large part by development of the country’s energy…

Overview

Seeking transformation: OBG talks to Frederic Ober, Director-General, Precious Woods CEB; and Didier Balzaretti, Former Director-General, Rougier Gabon
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Interview: Frederic Ober; Didier Balzaretti What effect has Gabon’s log export ban had? FREDERIC OBER: It is logical for a country to strive to preserve and create value in-country, but the move to ban log exports was too abrupt. The lack of time to transition forced investors to act immediately and resulted in huge losses for operators and the country as a whole. Despite the measures put in place by the government – such as investments in sawmills, training programmes and so on – the sector…

Analysis

Strong prospects: New regulations governing the forestry sector are awaiting approval
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When the ban on timber exports was enacted in 2010, operators and experts in the field voiced strong concerns over the adjustment period within the moratorium, stating that the forestry sector was not sufficiently prepared for such sudden and radical changes. The moratorium brought in its wake various drawbacks, with lasting results still visible today. Operators had to terminate all ongoing contracts due to the immediate implementation of the ban, losing clients to suppliers in neighbouring markets,…

Analysis

Moving forward: Agro-industry to accelerate value-added growth in the sector
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The launch of a new grain processing facility and oil palm plantation mark the latest steps forward for the agro-industrial sector in Gabon. With low oil prices constraining the country’s largest source of export revenues and slowing headline growth, the Gabonese government has sought to accelerate economic diversification through the Emerging Gabon Strategic Plan, placing a particular emphasis on industrial agriculture. The two projects – which will require a combined CFA307bn (€460.5m) worth…