Farmers’ perception towards farm level rubber tree planting: a case study from guraferda, south–western Ethiopia

Abstract

In Ethiopia Heavea brasiliensis tree plantation has been mainly conducted by the state. Now a day, attempts are being made to extend the practice towards farm level by the rural communities. Then the future plan may largely depend on addressing farmer’s perception as well as the identification of factors that encourage or discourage rubber tree planting on their farms. Also, insight about the above issues will be helpful in designing effective out–growers scheme for rubber tree plantations by the farmers, thereby contributing to the betterment of the livelihood in the country. Thus, the general objective of this study was to identify the factors that underlie farmer’s decisions to engage in rubber tree plantation and to understand farmers’ perception towards the forest use and conservations in the study area. The study was conducted in Guraferda Woreda, in Southwestern part of Ethiopia. We used informal discussion and semi–structured questionnaire survey. The result indicated that all the respondents were farmers, self–employed in farming. They grow cash crops, food crops, rearing animals and daily labor were their livelihood activities and sources of income. The concept of conservation and forest development is supported by the majority of the respondents and about 40% are dependent on the forests for income generation. Majority of the respondents (68%) expressed their willingness to plant rubber tree on their farm. However, land availability, market for the products, gestation period of the investment, lack of technical knowhow and nearness to resource such as seedlings are discouraging factors for the engagement of rubber plantations by farmers in the study area. Thus, taking all these as opportunities could help us to devise strategies such as rubber tree agroforestry, which probably intensify the farming system and results willingness to plant rubber trees by farmers in the study area.