Constraints to Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation by Farmers in Ikom Agricultural Zone, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed the constraints to agricultural biodiversity conservation faced by farmers in Ikom Agricultural Zone of Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were; to describe the socio- economic characteristics of cocoa farmers in the study area, ascertain the utilization of agricultural biodiversity conservation and analyze the constraints to agricultural
biodiversity conservation in the study area. A multi- staged and random sampling procedures were adopted to select 180 respondents for the study. The results showed that 50% of the farmers were within the ages of 51 and 60 years, 83.3% of the respondents were males. Results further showed that majority (55.5%) of the respondents were married, 41.6% never proceeded to school after their first school leaving certificate and a greater proportion (52.7%) had farm sizes ranging between I and 6 hectares. More than half (55.6%) had farming experience above 20 years. Results further showed that 98.8% of the respondents’ utilized the collection and preservation of seeds, 97.2% utilized afforestation, 94.4% utilized intercropping, bush fallowing and mulching, while 92.2% utilized agricultural- forestry. On the constraints to agricultural biodiversity conservation, increased demand for food and raw material leading to the over exploitation of agricultural biodiversity ranked 1st, with mean of x̅ =2.64, urbanization/population pressure on land ranked 2nd with mean x̅ =2.53, ignorance of agricultural biodiversity conservation ranked 3rd with mean x̅ =2.52. The study therefore recommended that farmers should be provided with incentives such as loans and credit and extension agents should enlighten farmers on agricultural biodiversity conservation techniques.