Benefits of Agro Forestry Land Use in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

The natural environment of the Nsukka, is characterized by a combination of trees and grasses in different proportions. This readily provides conducive conditions for the combined cultivation of annual crops and perennial crops, or trees. But, some factors might have stalled the espousal and practice of agro forestry in Nsukka; this is because Nsukka until recently was generally inaccessible and lacked basic infrastructure. These have contributed negatively to result in wastage of farm products especially during harvest periods, and consequent loss of income to the farmers. The broad aim of the study was to analyze agro forestry land use practices of Nsukka farmers, assess the benefits, and draw up lessons and recommendations for sustainable agro forestry development in community-based forestry projects by describing the socioeconomic characteristics of farmers, determining the type of agro forestry practiced in the area, identifying the reasons for farmers’ participation in agro forestry practices, identifying the constraints to sustainable agro forestry in the area and the measures for tackling the constraints and determining the benefits of agro forestry to participating farmers and their communities at large. The results of the study showed that most farmers sale greater part of their produce as the only source of income and most farmers spend less because they use animal dropping as a source of fertilizer. The land tenure system of the entire study area is largely by inheritance, and land use is determined by the male head and, on whom the right of usage is vested. Similarly, the ownership, sponsorship and management of agro forestry farms are largely by the families.