A socio-economic analysis of the practice of Taungya in the Mpraeso forest district

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2001-12-14
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Abstract
Forest fringe communities rely on forest resources for their livelihood. However, bad farming methods, population pressure, unregulated exploitation of forest resources and frequent forest fires have depleted forests, both in extent and content. Reservation and afforestation particularly through taungya using local farm- families was popular in the study area albeit the perceived failure. However, these resource-poor farmers were not given any financial assistance and/or incentives to motivate them. The study examined the acceptance, commitment and adoption of taungya by farmers. This was done using a questionnaire guide to interview 104 households randomly selected from 20 communities around six reserves in the Mpraeso Forest District (MFD) in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Data from secondary sources were also reviewed. Selected households were categorized into taungya and non-taungya practitioners. Simple statistical methods including frequencies, means, pie charts, bar graphs and percentages were employed. The study revealed that interest and commitment in and adoption of taungya was influenced by socio-economic considerations including expected benefits (particularly food and cash), control over resources such as land, labour and credit, and incentives. Though taungya is premised on free plots for farmers, farmers had to pay “something” for the plots. Conflict of interest between forest authorities and farmers over choice of cultivated crops and trees, inadequate supervision and rejection of indigenous knowledge and experience in trees and forest management hastened the demise of taungya. Common species cultivated include Tectona grandis, Cedrela odorata, Khaya senegalensis. Terminalia ivorensis and Gmelina arborea. The new taungya needs a more assertive multi-disciplinary team which will deemphasize timber production, encourage cultivation of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in an extended tenure, and enhance socio-economic interests and incentives. This would promote consensus building and co-operation in taungya and forest management.
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A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master Of Philosophy Degree in Agroforestry, 2001
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