Authors:Abdoul-Aziz Ali Sara, Ilkay Dellal Pages: 1 - 13 Abstract: Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, where more than 80% of the population live in rural areas and depend on agriculture. Agricultural production in Niger depends on rainfall which is irregularly distributed in place and time; thus, causing food deficit or food insecurity. To deal with these constraints and find a remedy to the precariousness of food insecurity, the focus is on irrigated agriculture where the purpose of the study is entitled "contribution of small-scale irrigation to reduce poverty". The main objective of this study was to analyse the economic and social impact of small-scale irrigation investment in the reduction of poverty. The municipality of Dabaga in Niger was selected as a case study. The specific objectives were to characterize the cropping systems practised by the farmers; calculate the gross margin of agricultural production (for the main crops grown); draw up the cereal balance sheet and the farm producers' operating account. Thus, surveys were conducted in the study area where 174 farmers were randomly selected. After that, the farmers were classified into two categories according to the main cultivated culture. Descriptive statistics and econometric correlation tests (Pearson method) were used for data analysis. It emerges from this study that this irrigated agriculture, which is of semi-intensive type, is dominated by the practice of polyculture. It involves the entire surveyed population, which had a negative cereal balance sheet but provides, for 82.18% of the farmers, a satisfactory net monetary income, above the country's monetary poverty line. PubDate: 2022-04-23 DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2022/v8i230149
Authors:Ettagbor Hans Enukwa, Fru Denis Ngang, Waffo Noumsi Patrick Jany Pages: 14 - 22 Abstract: The sustainable management of community forests in Cameroon is a success story for the achievement of Community-Based natural Resources Management (CBNRM). This approach empowers local communities to take the lead on natural resources management, giving them a sense of responsibility and ownership. This study was carried out in three community forest (Woteva, Bakingili and Bimbia-Bonadikombo community forests) in Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon. The aim of this research was to verify the contribution of community forestry to the wellbeing of the local population, and how it enhances the conservation of biodiversity. In this study, 135 (45.8%) of the 295 respondents were from Bimbia-Bonadikombo, 109 (36.9%) from Bakingili and 51 (17.3%) from Woteva. From this total, 155 (52.5%) were female and the rest (140 or 47.5%) were male. 89.4% of the population use the forests for fuelwood collection, 25.7% for timber exploitation, 40% for farming, and 41.3% for non-timber forest products (NTFPs) harvesting. Interestingly, only 17.9% of the respondents reported an increase in community members income under community forestry, 53.9% perceived no change especially as not everyone in the community is committed to community forestry. However, an improved adoption of sustainable exploitation practices was noted, and this can be explained by the numerous sensitization and training workshops and field demonstration carried out by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife through the Programme for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources-Southwest (PSMNR-SW), as well as Mount Cameroon prunus africana Association (MOCAP). PubDate: 2022-04-29 DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2022/v8i230150
Authors:O. I. Ovat, B. T. Tyowua, T. J. Orsar Pages: 23 - 33 Abstract: Aims: We assessed the population abundance, density and habitat preference of sclater’s guenon (Cercopithecus sclateri) in Aboh-Mbaise communal forest to inform conservation efforts for the species now and in the future. Study Design: We used the point count sampling method to estimate population size. Place and duration of study: The study was carried out in Lagwa communal forest, Aboh-Mbaise Local Government Area, Imo State, between December 2019 and November 2021. Methodology: We laid-out eight 2.5-km transects in a land area of 28,500km2. We enumerated and measured trees using the point-centered quarter method. Results: Results of this study indicated that they were 738 individual monkeys, 392 in dry and 346 in the wet seasons. The population density was 0.04 ± 0.01 individuals/km2, with troop sizes of 4.09±0.83 and 3.68 ± 0.75 for dry and wet seasons, respectively. The monkeys were sighted mostly in secondary forest, sacred groves, and economic trees. Most of the trees were within the diameter-at-breast-height class of 21cm-30 cm. A total of (304) plant species were used by the monkeys for cover in both seasons; these included Dacryodes edulis, Elaeis guinensis, Magnifera indica, Treculia africana and Pterocarpus erinaceous. Conclusion: The findings of this research is a prelude to understanding the population dynamics and habitat structure of the sclater’s guenon in the study area. Massive sensitization of the locals, regeneration of the remaining fragmented habitat and establishment of a wildlife sanctuary are needed to allow conservation of the species and its habitat. PubDate: 2022-05-03 DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2022/v8i230151
Authors:O. J. Adeyekun, A. S. Akinbowale, C. Arinzechi, O. J. Akinbi Pages: 34 - 40 Abstract: Nutrient depletion in the rainforest area is a land use constraint that needs urgent attention. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of legumes tree leaf mulch placement and N-mineralization on maize productivity in a rain forest area. Three common indigenous nitrogen-fixing leguminous trees (Albizia ferruginea, Albizia zygia and Spondias mombin) were randomly selected around the experimental site. Fifty (50g) of freshly collected leaves from these species were bulked and weighed into 20cm x 25cm litter bags. Three litter bags were placed above-ground and three below-ground (5cm deep) at three replicates per treatment. Maize was planted at a spacing of 90cm x 30cm. Fresh samples of each mulch were applied in a ring form to the three selected plant per plot in above-ground and below-ground (5cm deep) pattern two weeks after planting. The results showed that Albizia ferruginea had the highest percentage nitrogen (5.49%) and Spondias mombin had the lowest (3.49%). The percentage calcium composition of Albizia ferruginea and Albizia zygia was the same order of magnitude (0.22%), while that of Spondias mombin was 0.16%. The decomposition rate of the samples was highest in Spondias mombin with the lowest remaining weight of 2.92g and 3.16g in above and below ground litter bags respectively at week 10. Albizia ferruginea leaf had the highest nitrogen mineralization of 61.59% at above ground placement and Spondias mombin had the lowest of 52.18%. Nitrogen mineralization in the below ground placement was highest in Spondias mombin (67.32%) and lowest in Albizia zygia (40.39%). Generally, the above ground mulch placement decomposed faster than the below ground mulch placement at week 10. Albizia zygia was found to have outstanding performance on the height, girth and yield of maize. It is therefore recommended to poor resource farmers to allow Albizia zygia to thrive in and around their farms so that the leaves could be used as mulch for crop production. PubDate: 2022-05-18 DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2022/v8i230152
Authors:Okeke; Chukwujioke Daniel, Okeke, Onyinye Rita Pages: 41 - 48 Abstract: The research work investigated the effect of macroeconomic variables on agricultural output in Nigeria. The study used annual data spanning from the period 1995 to 2020. The agricultural output growth represented the explained variable while money supply, commercial bank loan on agriculture, exchange rate, interest rate, recurrent government expenditure on agriculture and inflation rate represented the explanatory variables which served as the selected macroeconomic variables under study. The stationary of the variables were checked using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test. The long run relationship was tested using the Johansen Co-integration technique. The OLS analysis was computed which shows that the model is statistically significance, judging with the p-value of the F-statistic. The analysis also presented that money supply, exchange rate and inflation have a positive relationship with agricultural output within the given period of study while commercial bank loan on agriculture, interest rate and recurrent government expenditure on agriculture have a negative link with the explained variable. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended among others things, that a favorable interest rate should be placed for farmers to easily access the loans of the financial institutions, which will ensure increase in the productivity of the sector. PubDate: 2022-05-18 DOI: 10.9734/ajraf/2022/v8i230153
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