By: ADEDAYO A. G.;
Abstract:
The study examines the involvement and perception of smallholder farmers in tree planting in Ondo State, Nigeria. Two of the three ecological zones in the study area were purposively selected. Five villages were randomly selected from a compiled list of villages in each ecological zone while 20 smallholder farmers were randomly selected out of 50 that were initially identified in each sample village to make a total of 100 respondents. The results of the study showed that only 32% and 23% of the respondents in the rainforest and savanna ecological zones of the study area respectively plant trees. Chi-square test (p>0.05) shows that there is no significant relationship between educational qualification of smallholder farmers and their involvement in tree planting in the study area. However, chi-square test (<0.05) shows that there is a significant relationship between the income earnings of smallholder farmers and their involvement in tree planting in the study area. The study showed that the common tree species planted by smallholder farmers in the study area include Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea, Cordia millenii Mansonia altissima and Nauclea diderichii. Smallholder farmers are however faced with some problems that hinder them from planting trees. These include weak land tenure, poverty, small land holdings, competition between trees and agric crops, long gestation period of trees and poor access to source of tree seedlings.The state government can help to solve many of these problems by helping to provide land to smallholder farmers that are willing to plant trees as well as provide tax relief to those that have planted stipulated number of trees. The State Forestry Department should improve upon their tree seedling production and distribution to farmers as well as their forestry extension programme in order to encourage more smallholder farmers to plant trees.
Keywords: small holder farmers in tree planting in Ondo
Click here to read and download paper