Abstract
The study was carried out in bedelle district. The major objective of the study was to assess the role of agro forestry to improve the rural farming household in the district. The factors that affect the farmers’ perception on agro forestry practices were both positive and negative. In the study out of 802 house hold 5% were selected by using stratified sampling techniques based on their relative wealth categories in order to have the exact and unbiased information on the farmer' perception on the role of agro forestry in improving the livelihood. These techniques of data collection was attained and data was summarized in the form of tables and histogram Among these increasing supply food, fodder, fuel wood and services like soil erosion control and increasing the organic matter by litter fall were the positive factors. Whereas the negative factors were practicing conventional tillage and introduction of allopathic tree species which results in yield reduction from agro forestry practices. The results of the study area showed that the land use system consists of different types of agro forestry practices and among these were: home gardens, wood lots, scattered trees in crop land, live fence and animal production with crop provide different goods and services for the local farmers. Based on the problem identified in the study area we should avoid introduction of exotic tree species which are invasive and having alelopathic effect and instead practice local one providing the productivity to agro forestry. Keywords: agro forestry, farmers'' perception, household and livelihood. DOI : 10.7176/JAAS/52-04
Highlights
Cultivating trees together with agricultural crops and livestock an ancient practice that farmers have over the world the farmer grow the trees in their farm land to increase the productivity of the land (Nair, 1995)
According to the age distribution of the respondent from the above graph show that most of the respondents are fall in the productive age group (22-45) and they have the understanding about agro forestry as compared to the other relative age group
Agro forestry has provide a lot of role to livelihood of rural community of the district through supplying goods and service to the local farmers
Summary
Cultivating trees together with agricultural crops and livestock an ancient practice that farmers have over the world the farmer grow the trees in their farm land to increase the productivity of the land (Nair, 1995). In the tropics trees were the essential component of the follow vegetation on temporality abandoned field and many trees were kept without specific purpose on farm land were they did not interfere while the use of land for crop cultivation (mc nearly scoth,2006) It has been traditional practiced by the villagers’ farm land and grazing lands in home comes and or home garden and as a wind break and shelter belts. The factor that increase the acceptance was high spread of tropical deforestation and ecological degradation 1970s energy crises, shortage of fertilizer and high prices the scarcity and the degradation of land as a result of population pressures, food shortage in many developing countries an increasing of scientific interest in both inter cropping and farming system and redesigning of the forest policy by FAO. These all reason gives birth to social forest and agro forestry (Nair 1993)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have