There are currently about 498 palm oil mills in the South West Region (largest palm oil producing region) of Cameroon alone, of which only 5 are fully automated/ industrial mills (Ordway et al., 2019).
Does Cameroon need more palm oil?
Cameroon’s current palm oil production still does not meet its current demand as about 21 % of the palm oil used is imported (FAO, 2019). The government of Cameroon’s 2030 national development plan involves increasing current palm oil production at a rate yet to be determined.
How many oil palm plantations are there in Cameroon?
In Cameroon, there are over 170,000 ha of oil palm plantations, including 70,000 ha of industrial plantations and 100,000 ha of village plantations.
What are Luc dynamics for oil palm cultivation in Cameroon?
LUC dynamics reported by the six mills for oil palm cultivation involved conversion from undisturbed forest, disturbed forest, tree crops like cocoa and sometimes, replanting of old oil palm stands. Studies have shown twice as much oil palm expansion into forests compared to other land use classes in Cameroon (Ordway et al., 2019).