The barrier to women involvement in agro forestry and role of oil palm in Nigeria

Abstract

The problem of high rate of deforestation of the country�s natural resource caused by population growth and economic pressure necessitates interest in agroforestry to encourage sedentary agriculture and rejuvenate degraded soils. The study therefore aims at assessing the constraint to the utilization of women knowledge of agroforestry in Oluyole local government area of Oyo State and the role of oil palm in these practices. The study was done randomly by sampling and interviewing an average of 25 women farmers in each of the 4 wards selected from 10 wards in the local government, giving a total sample size of 100 respondents. The results show that the main constraint in the practice of both border planting and shifting cultivation is land. This makes the practice of �taungya system� very difficult for most of the women. Meanwhile, the only constraint to the practicing of alley cropping is the shade the tree casts on the crop when it is matured, while the practice of grazing is hindered by the diseases that attack the livestock. About 16% of the respondents perceived agroforestry benefit is low, 69% belongs to the medium perception while 15% perceived agroforestry has high benefits. The results indicate that some are engaged in both farming and non-farming activities for livelihood.