Atilade Akanmu Adebisi 123Farming, fishing, hunting and the collection of NTFPs, including bitter kola,
are the primary occupations for the majority of the J4 population (Ojo 1999).
The average annual household income has been estimated at N70,971.6
(US$709.72). About 60% of the total land use is in rain fed arable farming,
while 18.5% is put to permanent crop trees like cocoa, citrus and cola nuts.
Villages in the J4 area produce substantial amounts of plantain and still have
extensive forest areas for timber tree exploitation and extraction of NTFPs.
This variety of income and food generating activities brings the socio-economic
status of the people within J4 above the poverty line. Rough estimates of per
capita income for both national and J4 area households are shown in Table 4.
In December 2000, the federal and state governments of Nigeria increased
the minimum basic salaries in the civil service to N60,000 and N36,000 (US$600
and US$360) per annum respectively. The estimated average per capita income
in J4 was between N25,704 and N37,200 (US$257 and US$372) per annum.
There is not a significant difference between state and J4 area per capita
income. However, labour wages within the J4 area are still relatively low
compared with larger cities. For example as of December 2000, within the J4
area the labour rate at 15 man-days/ha (weeding operation) was on average
N236 (US$2.36) per day as compared with N400 to N500 (US$4–US$5) per day
in urban areas.
With these economic returns, the inhabitants of area J4 can expect nothing
less than an amiable standard of living. Their interactions with people within
and outside the area have been cordial and primarily based on trade activities
of NTFPs, cash and arable crops, and plantains and bananas. All these items of
trade invite a handsome number of merchants from far and wide to the J4
area. Purchasers are encountered throughout the year, buying various
commodities as they come into season. The sales of fresh or dry bitter kola
begin in July for onward transportation to big cities and towns like Lagos,
Ijebu-ode, Abeokuta and Ibadan, and to some northern parts of the country.
Women and children often perform the processing and sale of bitter kola seeds
in markets.Processing industry
The processing and sale of bitter kola is largely a family-based home industry,
which, when the product is harvested at sustainable levels, has little negative
impact on the mother tree. When ripe, the green pericarp turns a reddish
yellow colour, and the fruit falls from the tree. The fruit are collected and
kept in an open, cool place till the pericarp and the pulpy mesocarp become
soft. Once softened, the fruits are threshed to release the nuts, which are
thoroughly washed to remove the sticky mucilaginous material that sheaths
the nut. Nuts that are not sold fresh are then spread out and air-dried in
preparation for storage, which is provided by wrapping the nuts in leaves and
storing them in a basket lined with jute bag material. This process is repeated
as fruit ripens and is collected throughout the harvesting period. There is
normally no secondary or industrial transformation of the nuts, with the
exception of uses in breweries, where bitter kola nuts are further dried and
ground into powder before use (Ibanga 1993).07garcinia.p65 123 22/12/2004, 11:04