Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 12.5 Proposed urban land uses vs actual land developed in Zaria
Urban land use
Land devoted to
agriculture ¼Y
Proposed
land¼X
1
Open
spaces ¼X
2
Actual land
developed¼X
3
Residential
7316
13,302
5320
5320
Commercial
399
798
143
319
Industrial
534
798
103
183
Public and semi-public
2668
4522
1356
1492
Parks and open spaces
1061
1862
93
595
Roads and streets
2809
4256
2554
1149
Railway
268
425
55
119
Airport
300
4522
1356
236
Source: Urban field work, 2001.
allocation and open space were shown to have contributed somewhat;
however, the contribution from the actual
land developed was the most
significant, with t
ð
4
Þ¼
2
:
77
ð
P
0
:
05
Þ
.
The above analysis implies that the physical-planning proposals did not
meet the planning goals and objectives of the town, which may be attributed
to poor predictions of development within Zaria. If development does not
occur, UA fills the void.
Abundance of incidental vacant land
As an activity that is commonly associated with the poor, UA is often
conducted on marginal lands. In Zaria, UA is commonly found in the
floodplains, which are exposed to natural hazards. Two major rivers, the
Kubanni and Galma, largely drain Zaria's urban area and UA is found on the
floodplains of a number of tributaries of these rivers. Productivity is
encouraged by the hydromorphic soils. In addition, water is available for most
of the year, which enables land to be irrigated in the dry season. Apart from
the floodplains, some isolated pockets of land exist within the town that
cannot be used for development because of their size or location. Moreover,
little is done to regulate activities on the floodplains, which leaves farmers to
practise their livelihoods.
Influence of socio-economic factors
Employment type and the standard of living influence what kinds of part-time
activities are required to earn a living. The high participation of people in UA
is partly the result of a di
cult economic situation. It is not just a hobby. Both
employed and unemployed people actively engage in urban farming, as shown
in Table 12.6.
As Table 12.6 shows, 34 per cent of the respondents involved in UA were
unemployed and an additional 12 per cent of respondents were retired.
However, 33 per cent of respondents were working in either the public or
private sector, while 21 per cent were self-employed.
