Production and socio-economic contribution of bitter kola (Garcinia kola) to people’s livelihood in Ifedore Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluates the production and socio-economic contribution of bitter kola (Garcinia kola) to the livelihood of the people in Ifedore Local Government, Ondo State. The study was conducted in six villages purposively selected in the Local Governments. A total of sixty pre-tested questionnaires were randomly administered to respondents in the study area. The study revealed that 37% of the respondents are above 50 years old while 42% and 58% are male and female respectively with 42% having primary education. The study also revealed that 48% of respondents operate farm sizes of between 11-20 hectares of land with 37% having farming experience of 11-20 years. The majority (92%) of the respondents grow Garcinia kola in mixed plantations while 8% collect their products from natural forests. Seventy-eight percent of the respondents produce 1-5 bags of 50 kg per year, while 35% made between ₦51,000 - ₦100,000 annually. The study shows that 33.7% of the respondents use Garcinia kola for medicinal and social/cultural purposes respectively. It was recommended that government should encourage farmers through incentives such as interest-free loans for large-scale production of bitter kola in plantations through a perennial crop combination agroforestry system for local and international markets.