SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DEPENDENCE ON NTFPS FOR COMMUNITY LIVELIHOODS BY HARVESTERS OF NTFPS FOR FOOD IN TARABA STATE

Several factors influenced dependence on NTFPs for community livelihoods by harvesters for food. Information on the role of NTFPs that provides forest foods is crucial to their sustainable management; however, this role has not been properly documented in Taraba State. Therefore, Socio-economic factors that influence dependence on NTFPs for community livelihoods by harvesters of NTFPs in Taraba State were investigated. A four-stage sampling procedure was used in the study. A total of 1,450 harvesters of NTFPs were identified in the 45 wards of the 9 LGAs. At 30% sampling intensity, a total of 435 harvesters were randomly selected to generate data for this study. Four hundred and thirty-five semi-structured questionnaires were administered to Harvesters of NTFPs for food and three hundred and ten retrieved. Socio-economic factors that influence dependence on NTFPs by harvesters of NTFPs for food were analyzed using logistic regression at α0.05. Harvesters’ occupation (6.25), age (9.22), monthly income (2.13), AEZ (1.77), sex (1.65), educational status (1.22) and main forest based activities (1.21) influences their dependence on NTFPs for livelihoods. There is the need to create awareness on the factors that influence the dependence on NTFPs for community livelihoods by harvesters of NTFPs for food in the study area. This will make them to be cautious of their activities, so as to avoid depleting the NTFPs used as food in the study area. There is also the need for the harvesters to form themselves into NTFPs collector’s co-operative groups and this groups should register with the State Department of Forestry who should charge them token fees per quantity of NTFPs collected and their harvesting activities should also be supervised.