Assessment of Non-Timber Forest Products Utilization and its Contribution to Household Income among Farmers in Quan’ Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed non-timber forest products utilization and its contribution to household income among farmers in Quan’ Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used in the selection of 150 respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used to achieve the objectives of the study. Findings from the study revealed the mean age of the farmers to be 40years.  About 71% of the respondents were males with greater number (89%) of them married.  Majority (58%) of the respondents had primary education as their highest level of education. Findings from the study also revealed that 82% of the respondents had farming as their major occupation having average farm sizes of 1.6hectares. All (100%) interviewed farmers agreed that they collect variety of NTFPs throughout the year for their daily subsistence and income generation. Income from NTFPs contributed the second largest share of household income with a share of 27.0% after income from agriculture (51.0%). Firewood (100%), charcoal (39.0%), fruit nuts (37.0%), bush meat (27.0%), bamboo (26%), medicinal herbs (22%), honey (11%), fodder (67%), mushroom (7%) etc. were the major NTFPs extracted and utilized in the study area. The result of multiple regression revealed that gender (0.944), household size (0.432), educational status (-0.385), farmland size (-0.581) and non-farm income (-0.024) were significant determinant of income from NTFPs. The study recommended that, in recognition of substantial contribution of income from NTFPs to household income, stakeholders and policymakers should consider the NTFP sector in forest conservation measures that could meet the needs of forest-dependent communities.