Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania
The contribution of non-timber forest products to the economy is ignored and often undervalued due to their subsistence nature. The study focused on baobab trees aiming to understand the baobab population, its asset value across various land uses, and the contribution of baobab fruits to the economy...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Trees, Forests and People |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266671932400027X |
| _version_ | 1797268919066558464 |
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| author | Mariana Antony Ngole Leopold Pascal Lusambo Beatus John Temu |
| author_facet | Mariana Antony Ngole Leopold Pascal Lusambo Beatus John Temu |
| author_sort | Mariana Antony Ngole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The contribution of non-timber forest products to the economy is ignored and often undervalued due to their subsistence nature. The study focused on baobab trees aiming to understand the baobab population, its asset value across various land uses, and the contribution of baobab fruits to the economy. Kilolo District and Iringa Urban District were purposively selected due to the availability of baobab trees and activities involving baobab fruit businesses in the districts. A stratified random sampling was done to select four land uses, in particular, settlement land, farmland, grazing land, and village forest reserve land for a biophysical survey. Besides, a socio-economic survey was conducted employing key informants’ interviews, market and household surveys to collect data for the assessment of baobab fruit value chains. A total of 91 respondents were interviewed, specifically, 44 harvesters, 1 village wholesaler, 2 middlemen, 2 village retailers, 6 processors 22 urban retailers, and 13 baobab fruits consumers. The study observed 5.27±0.39 stems/ha of baobab trees in grazing land, farmland (3.88±0.73stem/ha), village forest reserve land (2.68±0.17stem/land), and settlement land (2.27±0.31 stem/ha). Also, the total biological asset value of baobab trees was highest in farmland (29.87±9.04 USD/ha) and lowest in settlement land (12.36±2.82 USD/ha). Total chain value added was highest for the baobab fruits value chain involving village wholesalers (1.17 USD/Kg) and lowest for the baobab fruits value chain involving village retailers (0.27 USD/Kg) because of limited value-adding activities in the latter chain. Limited access to market information, low prices, poor storage facilities, lack of capital, poor processing facilities, and seasonal availability of baobab fruits were challenges facing baobab fruits value chain actors. The study concludes that the population of baobab trees differs between land uses implying the potential threats to its existence, and the need for desirable strategies for its conservation and management. So far, baobab is only harvested from self-growing trees, so the study proposes domestication and commercialization of the tree species to raise communities' contribution to the economy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:40:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8bf0958c5f9f4d9c87e023314dd95068 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-7193 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:40:07Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Trees, Forests and People |
| spelling | doaj.art-8bf0958c5f9f4d9c87e023314dd950682024-03-08T05:19:54ZengElsevierTrees, Forests and People2666-71932024-06-0116100519Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, TanzaniaMariana Antony Ngole0Leopold Pascal Lusambo1Beatus John Temu2Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania; Corresponding author.Department of Forest and Environmental Economics, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O Box 3011, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, TanzaniaDepartment of Forest and Environmental Economics, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O Box 3011, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, TanzaniaThe contribution of non-timber forest products to the economy is ignored and often undervalued due to their subsistence nature. The study focused on baobab trees aiming to understand the baobab population, its asset value across various land uses, and the contribution of baobab fruits to the economy. Kilolo District and Iringa Urban District were purposively selected due to the availability of baobab trees and activities involving baobab fruit businesses in the districts. A stratified random sampling was done to select four land uses, in particular, settlement land, farmland, grazing land, and village forest reserve land for a biophysical survey. Besides, a socio-economic survey was conducted employing key informants’ interviews, market and household surveys to collect data for the assessment of baobab fruit value chains. A total of 91 respondents were interviewed, specifically, 44 harvesters, 1 village wholesaler, 2 middlemen, 2 village retailers, 6 processors 22 urban retailers, and 13 baobab fruits consumers. The study observed 5.27±0.39 stems/ha of baobab trees in grazing land, farmland (3.88±0.73stem/ha), village forest reserve land (2.68±0.17stem/land), and settlement land (2.27±0.31 stem/ha). Also, the total biological asset value of baobab trees was highest in farmland (29.87±9.04 USD/ha) and lowest in settlement land (12.36±2.82 USD/ha). Total chain value added was highest for the baobab fruits value chain involving village wholesalers (1.17 USD/Kg) and lowest for the baobab fruits value chain involving village retailers (0.27 USD/Kg) because of limited value-adding activities in the latter chain. Limited access to market information, low prices, poor storage facilities, lack of capital, poor processing facilities, and seasonal availability of baobab fruits were challenges facing baobab fruits value chain actors. The study concludes that the population of baobab trees differs between land uses implying the potential threats to its existence, and the need for desirable strategies for its conservation and management. So far, baobab is only harvested from self-growing trees, so the study proposes domestication and commercialization of the tree species to raise communities' contribution to the economy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266671932400027XBaobab tree densityEconomic contributionValue addedValue chain analysis |
| spellingShingle | Mariana Antony Ngole Leopold Pascal Lusambo Beatus John Temu Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania Trees, Forests and People Baobab tree density Economic contribution Value added Value chain analysis |
| title | Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania |
| title_full | Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania |
| title_short | Baobab trees population and economic contribution: Stems density, asset value and fruits value chains in Kilolo and Iringa Urban districts, Tanzania |
| title_sort | baobab trees population and economic contribution stems density asset value and fruits value chains in kilolo and iringa urban districts tanzania |
| topic | Baobab tree density Economic contribution Value added Value chain analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266671932400027X |
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