Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The number of species mentioned in each of the three countries as among the
ten priority species by farmers ranged from 60 in Cameroon to 172 in Nigeria.
No single species ranked among the top ten in all three countries. Three
species, discussed below, ranked among the top four in at least two of the
countries. All three were important as both food and cash earners (Adeola
et
al
., 1998).
●
Irvingia gabonensis
ranked first in both Nigeria and Cameroon. Also called
'bush mango', it is prized for its cotyledons, which are used as a constituent
of sauces. In addition, the fruits of some varieties are eaten.
I. gabonensis
was not ranked among the top ten species in Ghana, although its fruits are
being widely harvested (and grown in a few areas) for export to Nigeria.
●
Dacryodes edulis
, also called 'bush butter' or 'prune', ranked third in both
Nigeria and Cameroon. The fruit is boiled or roasted and is an important
food during its brief fruiting season. The species is not known in Ghana.
●
Chrysophyllum albidum
, also called 'star apple', ranked second in Nigeria
and third in Ghana, but is unknown in Cameroon. It is consumed as a
fresh fruit.
Two other species,
Ricinodendron heudelotii
and
Milicia excelsa
, featured
among the top ten species in at least two of the countries.
R. heudelotii
kernels
are ground and used as a constituent of sauces;
Milicia
is a timber species.
Garcinia kola
was the only species that ranked among the top 15 in all three
countries.
G. kola
nuts are prized as a stimulant.
Ranking of products
The farmer preference survey confirmed that food was by far the most
important use of priority species; out of 30 species comprising the top ten
species in the three countries, food was named as the main use for 21 (69%)
species. Timber and medicine were each the main use of four (13%) species.
In the stakeholder workshop, food received the highest rating of any
product. The potential for making impact through research on food was
considered to be high, as principles developed for industrial tree crops could be
applied. For example, extending the harvesting period or improving fruit
quality could be achieved in a reasonable period of time. Moreover, the
mandates of the institutions participating in the priority-setting exercise gave
high priority to food production. Other products and services considered in this
ranking included soil fertility, fodder, medicine and timber. Soil fertility and
fodder received low ratings, mainly because of their low present value to
farmers. Medicine scored low because it had little relevance to the institutional
mandates of the government services participating in the workshop. Timber
scored low because of the long period required to produce it.
Team members advanced ten species to the next stage. Of the six species
mentioned above as being rated highest in the farmer preference survey, only
one,
Milicia
, was excluded - because the long time required to reach maturity,
up to 50 years, would reduce farmers' interest in planting it. Five other food-
producing species were included -
Artocarpus communis
and
Annona
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