Forest Products, Livelihoods and Conservation

Chapter 8

Potential for development and

conservation of Dacryodes edulis in

Sakpoba Forest Reserve, Edo State,

in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria

Hassan Gbadebo Adewusi^1

ABSTRACT

The edible fruits of Dacryodes edulis are one of the most important non-

timber forest products in Sakpoba Forest Reserve. The species has been

cultivated and commercialised in the far west of the reserve for over six

decades, with a corresponding trade network stretching as far as Benin City,

Sapele, Agbor and Lagos. The 95% majority of D. edulis production is obtained

from cultivated stands in agricultural fields, agroforestry plantings and

compound farms. The remaining 5% is obtained from the wild although

considerable variation exists among the wild taxa. Of the cultivated production

of D. edulis, 80% is from private land and 10% from open access communal

land. The average size of producer households is about seven people, about

50% of whom engage in D. edulis production and 30% in marketing. Production

and marketing of D. edulis is on the increase while processing remains

unchanged. The road network within the production site is in serious disrepair,

deleteriously affecting the movement of product to market. Encouraging the

cultivation and commercialisation of D. edulis will encourage the selection of

superior varieties from the highly variable wild materials. It is hoped that this

will in turn increase and ensure the adoption and practice of conservation

strategies for the remaining wild genetic resources of the species.

Common names Part of the Management Degree of Scale of Geographic

resource used transformation trade range

Safou, Bush pear, Fruit Managed/ Low National Medium

Orumu Cultivated

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