144 Potential for development and conservation of Dacryodes edulis
and cultivated harvesting to the national production system will form the
basis of the global contribution.
The amount of labour required and the cost implication for D. edulis
production in Sakpoba Forest Reserve indicated its low input requirement.
The majority of production has been found in the tree-crop interaction systems,
which poses little or no problem to the ecology. In the absence of regional
gross domestic product figures, it was difficult to estimate the regional or
local per capita income.
Our experience in Sakpoba Forest Reserve in the last 10 years indicates a
serious degradation of the natural forest, the major cause being timber
exploitation. This has negative effects and impact on non-timber forest
resources, particularly among natural regenerated and understorey species.
The verification exercise carried out in 2001 revealed the degree of degradation
and extent of deterioration of infrastructural facilities within the reserve in
the last 10 years. The major roads have become impassable, especially during
the peak of the rainy season when the species of interest (D. edulis) is supposed
to be brought to market.CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT LESSONS OF CASELessons
D. edulis has enjoyed local and national commercial importance for over six
decades. Widening the market for the product, particularly capturing its export
potentials and selection of a genotype acceptable to international markets,
will enable producers to look inward, into the available genetic resources in
the wild. Conservation of these genetic resources will enhance the future
ability of producers to participate in and respond to the international trade of
the commodity, while continuous development to meet the standard set by
the markets will be a priority issue.
Trade in D. edulis has benefited all the stakeholders from the villages in
the reserve to those involved in the market chain. Organized production and
marketing strategies will further benefit and encourage rapid socio-economic
development of the producing communities. The current system of harvesting
the species is not detrimental and it is sustainable. The available information
on yield is insufficient, and farmers are unwilling to disseminate such
information in order to avoid taxation. However, detailed studies on the
production per tree and per hectare will provide useful information on yield.
Current production is insufficient to satisfy the local demand. Producers still
manage their old stock and regeneration occurs mainly through wildlings from
existing stock.
The slow growth of indigenous fruit trees and longer time required to
produce fruit, compared with exotic species, has seriously influenced the
demand for planting materials among poor rural farmers. Increased
commercialization of D. edulis is expected to be an incentive for increased
interest in further selection and improvement in the species. This should be
backed with supply of improved planting materials. This will encourage the
conservation of wild stock and further selections can be made from that.08dacryodes.p65 144 22/12/2004, 11:05