Influence of Forest Resources Utilization on the Livelihoods of rural farmers in Etche Ethnic Nationality,Rivers State, Nigeria
- February 20, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: Agriculture, IJRIAS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186
Emiri, U.N1* & Nnodim, A.U2
1 Department of Agricultural Education, Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, SagbamaBayelsa State, Nigeria
2 Department of Vocational and Technology Education, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo,Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Corresponding Author*
Abstract
The study investigated the influence of forest resources utilization on the livelihoods of rural farmers in Etche ethnic nationality of Rivers State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted 786 registered farmers in Etche Ethnic nationality consisting of 584 and 202 registered farmers in Etche and Omuma Local Government areas respectively. Out of which 360 respondents; 270 and 90 from Etche and Omuma respectively were selected as the sample size, through random sampling techniques. Three research questions were answered while one hypothesis was formulated for the study. Data were collected through the administration of self structured questionnaire which was validated and a reliability coefficient of 0.75 obtained and complimented with interview schedule for the illiterate farmers. Data obtained were analyzed descriptively using mean and standard deviation while regression analysis was used in testing the formulated hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. It was found from the study that majority of the respondents were female, young and energetic rural farmers who are engaged in collecting and harvesting forest products. Regression analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between the socio economic characteristics of the respondents and utilization of forest resources. Result also showed that most of the forest resources were available for collection and utilization in the study area. The mean responses showed that most of the forest products were utilized in the form of fruits and vegetables, oil, fiber and animals (bush meat).Respondents opined that forest resources would improve their financial security and standard of living among others. Based on the findings, it was recommended that forest based activities should be prioritized by government and other stake holders to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of rural farmers.
Keywords: Forest, utilization, livelihood, farmers, rural.
Introduction
In Africa, it has been estimated that over two thirds of the continent’s 600 million people rely on forest products, either in the form of subsistence uses or as cash income derived from a wide range of timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs), (Kaimowitz 2003; Sunderline,W.D., Angelson,A., Belcher,B., Burger,P., Nasi,R., Santoso,L., Wunder S., 2005).With Forest linked to rural livelihoods, forests present an opportunity for achieving conservation and developmental goals. Forest resources are materials in the forest used by man to satisfy his needs and shape his destiny (Adekola & Mbalisi, 2015). Forest resources are key component of the natural (environmental) resources base of any community, region or country and they play a fundamental role in the socio-economic well-being of the people of those communities. This is particularly so in Sub-Saharan
