ASSESSMENT OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS UTILISATION IN IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Forests are very important though undervalued and there after resources on which millions of people depend for their livelihood in the tropics. Apart from timber, non-timber forest products (NTFP) include foods like fruits, nuts, honey, insect and animals. They are also used as fodders, fibers, medicinal extracts, cosmetics, spices, edible oils, decorate articles, horn, tusk etc. The study investigated the Survey of Non Timber Forest products activities among rural dwellers in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State. Multistage sampling Methods was used in selecting respondents. Simple random sampling procedure was used to select markets where respondents got for the purpose of this research. Also, 100 questionnaires were used. Majority of the respondents were youth, married, had formal education with family size of 3-5members and had farming as their main occupation. NTFP gathered by the respondents include firewood, medical herbs, snails, bush meat, wrapping leaves and honey in order of their performance. Many of the respondents gathered non – timber forest products basically for food/drink and for sales as income generating activity for the use of the households.