Potentials of agroforestry in agricultural land-use systems in the Amansie Resources Limited Concession Area
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Date
2003-11-28
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Abstract
Amansie Resources Limited (ARL) Concession Area as found within the Sub- humid Lowland region of Ghana is richly endowed with natural resources (fertile soil and vegetation) and therefore promotes various systems of agricultural land-use.
The main aim of carrying out this study in the Amansie Resources Limited (ARL) Concession Area was to identify and describe the agricultural land -use systems of the ARL concession area, identify land-use problems and their causes, and identify Agroferesty technologies that could be used to solve the identified problems.
The research was done through the use of Diagnosis and Design D&D) Methodology. SPSS Software was used in analysis the data collected and presented in the form of
tables, averages, ranges and percentages, etc. Simple analytical tools such as nominal and ordinal level scales were employed in the data analysis. Two main agricultural land-use systems were identified as cash crop/ perennial tree crop and food crop.
Problems of agricultural land-use system identified in ARL concession area were basically physical and Natural for example, Land degradation. There were four main causes namely: Mining, deforestation, Erosion and bushfires. The most serious among the four is mining which has resulted in shortening fallow periods than before; reduction of farm plots per farmer, and other associated effects. Apart from the physical problems, some socio-economic (constraints/problems were also identified such as lack of finance, marketing problems, lack of inputs, lack of technological knowhow and lack of Transport services, inadequate Extension services, inavailability of credit facilities, inadeqfarmers Associations and lack of periodic market. It was again found out from the study that animal component is insignificant and also faces problems such as theft and health. It also came up that Respondents in the study area tend trees for agroforestry purposes such as provision of shade, land conservation, income etc.
Agroforestry Technologies such as Improved Fallow, Fruit Trees on Croplands were recommended as options to the problems such as scarcity of land, shortening of fallow periods and Lack of finance. It was further suggested that intensive education and awareness creation on Agroforestry Interventions would facilitate the adoption of the modern technologies.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Agroforestry, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for Master of Science degree, 2003