Attitude of farmers towards domestication of shea tree cultivation in Niger State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Despite the socio-economic potentials of shea tree and its ability to grow well in Niger State, the tree crop is yet to be domesticated in farms. Thus, the study examined the attitude of farmers towards the cultivation of shea tree in Niger State, Nigeria. To achieve the study objectives, 210 respondents were randomly selected for the study and data were collected using validated interview schedule with reliability coefficient of 0.85. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit regression model. Result indicated that the mean age of the respondents was 52 years. Number of shea trees owned by 50.48% of the respondents ranged from15-20 trees which mostly grow naturally. Result further revealed that the respondents had favourable attitude towards most of the issues bordering on shea trees domestication. The issues that attracted least unfavourale attitude were long gestation period and inadequate awareness on the need to plant and manage wild trees. Factors that influenced willingness to plant shea trees were sex, attitude, land ownership, educational level and marital status. Therefore, it was recommended that youths, women and married couples should be encouraged by government to go into shea tree cultivation. It was also suggested that farmers should be educated by extension agents to encourage on-farm shea tree planting culture and agroforestry initiatives.