Socio-economic benefit of rubber agroforestry system for improved livelihood in Edo State, Nigeria

C Okwu-Abolo,S.O Idoko,J.A Soaga,Y Asih Purwestri,W Dyah Sawitri,I Yoga Prasada,K Restu Susilo,A Dewi,G Wirakusuma,S Subandiyah,P Montoro

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202130502010

Abstract

Rubber Agroforestry System (RAS) is an innovative farming system contributing significantly to the livelihood of smallholders in Edo State. Data for this study were collected from 120 rubber smallholder farmers having a contiguous 2 hectares farmland with the aid of structured questionnaire using multistage sampling technique with a 3-stage design. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and budgetary analysis. The result revealed that majority of the RAS farmers were males, with an average mean age of 49 years and most of the RAS farmers had some level of education, they attained secondary and tertiary education with an average number of 8.3 years in education. Furthermore, the total annual revenue earned by the respondents was ₦992,500 ($ 2,756.94) with a mean annual net income of ₦527,003 ($ 1,463.90) while the return per naira invested was ₦1.69. This shows that for every ₦1 invested in the cropping combination in the RAS, there was a return of 69 kobo in the study area. Thus, RAS provides income and employment for smallholder community to be self-sufficient and economically independent. This study concludes that respondents valued RAS as an innovative sustainable agroforestry system capable of generating income and employment. Government therefore should leverage through adequate fiscal policy to enable easy credit facility by farmers

Highlights

Rubber cultivation is an age long practice in Nigeria but has suffered decline, from 248,900 ha to 154,000 ha of land area, since the mid-1970s
Land distribution is an important issue in rural development, where land is insufficient to support the basic needs of a farm family, there is a tendency for communities to encroach into protected areas
Following the innovative approach of the Rubber Agroforestry System, famers need to be abreast with new information and technical know-how of RAS farming and related agricultural activities; this innovative approach requires interactions of the farmers with extension officers having similar mandate

Summary

Introduction

Rubber cultivation is an age long practice in Nigeria but has suffered decline, from 248,900 ha to 154,000 ha of land area, since the mid-1970s. Some of the inherent challenges faced by these Rubber smallholders are the uneconomical land size and the long gestation period of Rubber that deprived farmers of a sustainable income during the immature phase of Rubber. This situation has remained a disincentive to rubber farmers and has made rubber enterprise unattractive. A timely adoption of appropriate plantation management practices that is capable of utilizing the under-utilized land resources and increasing the revenue base of the enterprise is important to the attainment of the drive to increase rubber production in Nigeria. One possible approach that may assist rubber farmers to improve their income while maintaining rubber production is to intercrop rubber with indigenous fruit trees and arable crops, this farming system is commonly known as Rubber Agroforestry

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Conclusion