What Future Prunus africanus?
Prunus africanus is a tropical hardwood tree found in the highland forests of Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar. Timber is used for construction and firewood, a medicinal extract (pygeum extract) is taken from bark. Pygeum is used to treat prostate gland hypertrophy and the closely related but more serious condition of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BHP). BHP and other prostate problems usually affect elderly men. The ever increasing proportion of western men between the ages of 60-80 has resulted in a great increase in the demand for medicinal preparations to treat such conditions. In their report on the Prunus trade for the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (ISBN 3 89624- 608- 9), Cunningham and Schippmann estimated world trade in Prunus africanus (dried bark or extract) to be between 3,500 – 5,000 tonnes per year. 72% comes from Cameroon, 18% from Madagascar and the remainder from Kenya and Tanzania. The increased demand for this product has resulted in a rapid dep
