Farmer’s Readiness to Buy, Adopt and Participate in Growing Buffer Crops to Mitigate wild Animal Damage on Crops around Kibale National Park, Western Uganda

Abstract

Farmers participation in growing buffer crops can act as a strategy to mitigate crop damage by wild animals. Some 56.53% of the farmers that participated in growing of buffer crops were sensitized about which type of buffer crop to grow, their economic and social values guided by appropriate agricultural policies. Farmers' knowledge of buffer crops to grow, and the choice of the buffer crop to be grown versus the type of crop-damaging wildlife species they deter are essential components of crop farmers' participation. More men (50.6%) were ready to adopt buffer crops compared to 31.7% who were women. Farmers owning crop gardens in <500 metres were ready to adopt and plant buffer crops at (70.4%), buy them at 45.06% to mitigate crop damage by wild animals. The major source of buffer crop planting materials was Local Government at (77%). Some 19.2% of the farmers who were not growing buffer crops proposed that Uganda Wildlife Authority through Kibale National Park management should support communities in ecotourism and apiary as alternatives to mitigate crop damage by wild animals. The study proposes sensitization of farmers about the value of buffer crops as means to increase farmer’s readiness to buy, adopt and participate in growing buffer crops to mitigate wild animal damage on crops around Kibale National Park.