Production And Commercialization of Non-Timber Forest Products In Gomma And Manna Woreds of Jimma Zone: Implications To Rural Livelihoods
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
Production and commercialization ofNTFPs by forest fringe communities have invaluable importance in
terms of both rural li velihood security and resource conservation, perspectives. It ensures food availability
particularly during slack periods and prov ides cash income when other income such as coffee is nonexistent.
The study area, Jimma zone of Oromia regional state, is onc the natural afromontane forest zone
found in south west Ethiop ia with rich potential for the production and commercialization of NTFPs as
alternative approach to livelihoods improvement and forest resource conservation. The main objectives of
th is study were to assess the state of production and utilization ofNTFPs in the study area, and to identify
major production and marketing challenges.
The analysis was made using both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected in 2008
from 105 sample households selected randomly after their proportion was identified for the sample kebeles
and wealth groups. There FGDs conducted were also supplemented by data collected from key informants
and voluntary discussants. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests (chi sq uare test and t-test) were used to
examine the association between soc ia-demographic variables and different NTFPs production decision.
Pest incidence, lack of inputs, shortage of land and limited ski lled personnel, absence of irrigation and the
expansion of chat are the major production constra ints identified. The major marketing challenges
identified in the area include lack of transportation facility, absence of standard ized measurement, low
market demand, lack of developed processing technology, absence of wholesalers and limited export
market.
It was found from the analysis that the different wealth groups depend on NTFPs to varying degrees with
the rich group relatively well integrated to both production and commercialization of valuab le NTFPs such
as honey and fruits. The poor, on the other hand, heavily relies on root crops mainly due to the food
security they offer in off-peak periods and partly due to the low cost of inputs compared to beekeeping, for
example. Changes in important livelihood assets over the past five years indicates increment for the rich
more followed by medium and stagnated or decl ined for the majority of the poor.
The chi-square test of association between different socia-econom ic variables hypothesized to affect
NTFPs produetion decision found significant for level of education of the head, size of land, access to
credit, sex and extension contact and the production of honey at 95% level of confidence. Other variables
like family size, age of the head, leadership role of the head, were found to have weak association with the
production of either honey, fruits or spices at (p<O.I) level of confidence. Therefore it is imperative to
target the poor and female headed households who are benefiting the least from NTFPs through better
access to credit; extens ion contact and input supply; provision of farmers' field school and formal
education; and control of wild animal
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Gomma And Manna Woreds of Jimma Zone: Implications To Rural Livelihoods Aklilu Amsalu