Abstract
The study assessed the Non–Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) of the Ejagham Forest Reserve and its Adjoining Forest in general and those traded between Cameroon and Nigeria in particular. This was carried out within a period of ten months, December - April 2006 (for the dry season) and June - October 2007 (for the wet season). The line transects questionnaires, and a selection of some Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools were used for the collection of data while the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The study identified about 36 NTFPs species in the area that are sourced by local people for local and external trade and household consumption. From the list of 36, Irvingia, Gnetum, Carpolobia, Masularia, and Ricinodendron species were identified as the five tradable NTFPs of the study area involved in Trans-boundary trade between Cameroon and Nigeria. These NTFPs were observed to be sourced from the primary and secondary forests, fallow and farm lands. The collection, harvesting and gathering methods for these NTFPs were observed to be traditional and associated with resource degradation.Keywords: NTFPs, Trade, Trans-boundary, Ejagham, Forest Reserve.
Highlights
Forest, apart from timber, forest contains many useful goods and services of subsistence and commercial value called Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), which sustain the rural people and rural economies
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE The specific objectives of the study were as follows: i) Identify the existing NTFPs in the study area; ii) With the active participation of all the forest stakeholders, find out the existing NTFPs in the study area that are traded between Cameroon and Nigeria; iii) Examine the harvesting, collection and gathering methods for the trans-boundary traded NTFPs; iv)Trace channels of trade on these NTFPs in the study area
As indicated in table 1, 36 NTFPs species were identified in the study area, on which the local inhabitants depend on for their livelihoods
Summary
Apart from timber, forest contains many useful goods and services of subsistence and commercial value called Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), which sustain the rural people and rural economies. According to Adeyoju (1975) and Ndouye et al (1998), the consumption, trade and identity of these goods and services, are not properly documented This has led to gross under-valuation of the enormous socioeconomic and cultural significance of these resources. Falconer (1990, 1992) defines NTFPs as all forest goods and services, excluding commercial timber In this context, NTFPs include such diverse products as animal products, leaves, local building materials, edible fungi, medicinal plants, forest foods, sponges, chewing sticks, fibres, gums and rattan canes, among others. NTFPs include such diverse products as animal products, leaves, local building materials, edible fungi, medicinal plants, forest foods, sponges, chewing sticks, fibres, gums and rattan canes, among others These products constitute rural industrial raw materials for cottage industries, cultural symbols, ritual artefacts and traditional medicine (Docan and Mbenkum, 1989, FAO, 1988). In the past three decades, these NTFPs have attracted greater attention of scientist in the sub-region
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