By: ADEDAYO A. G.;
Abstract:
This paper takes a look at the various ways that the fruits of B. sapida are being utilized by the people in the rainforest and guinea savanna ecological zones of Nigeria. This is with a view to fashion out policies and strategies that can help to improve the utilization of Blighia sapida fruits to reduce poverty in the study area. B. sapida has been underutilized in the study area and it is believed that improving its utilization through clearly spelt out strategies will go a long way in helping to improve its utilization in the study area. Semi structured questionnaires were used to collect information on the indigenous uses of B. sapida in the two ecological zones. Two communities in each ecological zone were purposively selected. 50 respondents in each sampled community were randomly selected to investigate the indigenous uses of B. sapida in the two ecological zones. Chi-square test (p<0.05) shows that a significant association exists between indigenous uses of B. sapida and ecological zones as well as between indigenous uses of B. sapida and economic class of respondents in the study area. There is however the need to harmonize the indigenous uses of B. sapida in order to improve on the utilization of the species. In the light of this, it is essential that policies that will help to promote the utilization of B. sapida and other neglected or underutilized species (NUS) be enshrined in the forest policy statement of the states covered by the study. Promoting the conservation of NUS plants should also be included in the forest policy statement of the states covered by the study. NUS unit in the State Forestry Departments in the country should be created that will help to promote the utilization of B. sapida and other NUS plants all over the country through proper and prompt dissemination of information. Other strategies that can help to promote the utilization of B. sapida include; commercialization of B. sapida, value addition to the fruits of B. sapida, selling the fruits in urban markets as well as exporting the fruits in order to improve income earnings from the fruits.
Keywords: Blighia sapida, Rainforest, Guinea savanna, ecological zone, Neglected and underutilized species,
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