Socio-economic benefits of vitellaria paradoxa trees to the livelihood of the community :

Abstract

The study examined the socio economic benefits of Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees to the local people of Lagoro sub county, Kitgum District. The benefits of Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees, like any other natural resources can be assessed basing on a number of factors that include the level of employment, Status of the livelihood of people, contribution to household income, food security, and contribution to economic growth and development. The study employed cross sectional survey design and Data was collected using the stratified random sampling and purposive sampling methods, Questionnaires were used to obtain. data from different respondents, SPSS statistical software: and Microsoft Office Excel as well as Data spread sheets were used to analyze the data. The main objective of the research was to assess the socio economic benefits of the Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees to the community in Lagoro Sub-county Kitgum district. The Specific objectives were; to find out how the community in Lagoro Sub County manage Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees, to find out the socio economic- benefits of Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees to the households in the community, to find out the threats to the Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees in the area, and to find out ways of how to sustain the use of the Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees. Results show that of the 70 respondents interviewed, 50 were female and 20 were male. The mainly preferred products obtained by the community from Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees are Shea butler/on, Shea fruits, Shea nuts, firewood, charcoal, poles and wood for craft works like furniture making, Shea butter/oil has been the central vegetable oil used for frying food and also sold in local markets to generate income for the households. The local community in Lagoro Sub County traditionally manage and conserve VPTS on farms and parklands through pruning branches, integrating VPTs with other annual crops, weeding around the tree, cutting dead branches to allow new ones to sprout, sparing VPTS when opening agricultural land and protecting young Shea seedling against fire and grazing animals. The respondents were willing to plant and manage VPTs on farm, around home compound, along boundaries, roadside and parkland if only provided with early maturing planting materials. Opportunities suggested by the, respondents for conserving the Vitellaria Paradoxa Trees included replanting cut VPTS, controlling bush fire during dry seasons by encouraging early burning, weeding around regenerating Shea seedlings; planting Shea seedlings, applying rules and regulations to curb cutting VPTs, planting alternative tree species for charcoal, and compulsory caring for young VPTs. For that matter, the outstanding challenge for the community in Kitgum District and Uganda at large is to appreciate the contribution of the VPTs towards Uganda’s socio economic sustainability. Stakeholders can only meet the challenge if they appreciate the roles played by policy measures such as sensitization of the masses on the importance of VPTs and enforcement of the law in the strongest terms possible against any illegal activities among others.