Jacob Godfrey Agea

On-Farm Management of Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn. in Amuria District, Eastern Uganda

The population of shea butter tree (Vitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn.)—a priority tree with enormous economic and cultural values to the parkland communities in Uganda, is rapidly declining due to rapid human population growth, increasing land fragmentation, and high demand for woodfuel especially charcoal. Reversing this trend will depend on the rural community involvement in the planting, facilitating natural regeneration, and tending of shea trees on farm. As such a survey was conducted in Amuria district, eastern Uganda, to assess local strategies and constraints to on-farm management of shea trees, and document socio-demographic factors influencing the on-farm conservation. About 93% of the households protected naturally regenerated V. paradoxa trees mainly on farms. V. paradoxa was mostly propagated through coppices and seedlings. Although insecure land tenure, insecurity, pests, disease, and shortage of planting materials were reported as major hindrances, farmsize, family size, and gender significantly () influenced people’s willingness to conserve V. paradoxa. Byelaws and policies on shea conservation need to be properly enforced, and further propagation research is required especially towards shortening the juvenile period of V. paradoxa so that more farmers can start propagating the tree other than relying on its natural regeneration.

Market conduct and performance of wild and semi-wild food plants traded in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda

This study assessed the market conduct and performance of wild and semi-wild food plants (WSWFPs) traded in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda. A rapid market survey (RMS) was conducted in 17 local markets in Kibanda County. Market prices and weekly volumes of traded WSWFPs were compared with some of the selected conventional food plants traded in the same locality. Weekly volumes of traded WSWFPs based on the usual units of the measurement (including bundles and heaps) within the markets were estimated per species sold. The profit margin was computed per traded species. Transport expenses were excluded in the cost computation because only 4% of the traders incurred transport expenses in form of hired bicycles. Out of 62 WSWFPs belonging to 31 botanical families documented as edible in the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, about 47% belonging to 12 botanical families were traded in formal and informal markets. Market information system was largely rudimentary and undeveloped, and traders rely mainly on information from fellow traders as well as their customers to make market decisions. Traded products were primarily delivered to markets on foot and using bicycles. Currently, there are no definite or formal mechanisms of setting prices of traded WSWFPs; most traders relied on the daily market demand, time and risks involved in gathering process, information of the price of substitute food and prices from other areas, knowledge of the past seasons’ prices, and on the costs incurred from the suppliers. With exception of few species such as Physalis peruviana and Basella alba , weekly volumes of traded WSWFPs were low as compared to most conventional food crops. On the other hand, prices of most traded WSWFPs were generally similar to those of alternative conventional food plants marketed in the area. Some WSWFPs like Hibiscus acetosella , B. alba and Hyptis spicigera (seeds), had higher market prices per unit measurement as compared to the related conventional food plants. Average weekly profits yielded from the trade of various WSWFPs were moderate and ranged from UGX 764.5 to 6754.2 (USD 0.38 to 3.36). The highest return came from species such as H. spicigera, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Aframomum angustifolium, Borassus aethiopum, B. alba, Solanum nigrum, Aframomum alboviolaceum and Canarium schweinfurthii . Key words : Market conduct, market performance, wild edibles, wild foods, Uganda

Collaborative Forest Management in Uganda: Benefits, Implementation Challenges and Future Directions

In many countries including Uganda, management of forest resources has moved away from command and control system to a more participatory approach that require involvement of a broad spectrum of stakeholders. The introduction of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) was sparked by several factors: both international and local. At the international level, treaties and accords such as the Tropical Forest Action Plan (TFAP), an outgrowth of the agenda 21 framework initiated in Rio-de-Janeiro in 1992, sought to reverse the loss of forests through the involvement of stakeholders, especially adjacent communities. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (1992) highlights the importance of sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from biodiversity resources. At the local level, the original argument for increasing community participation in the maintenance of rural conservation projects stemmed from the need to better target peoples needs, incorporate local knowledge, ensure that benefits were equitably distributed and lower management costs (Wily, 1998). The inclusion of communities in the management of state-owned or formerly state-owned forest resources has become increasingly common in the last 25 years. Almost all countries in Africa, and many in Asia, are promoting the participation of rural communities in the management and utilisation of natural forests and woodlands through some form of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) (Wily & Dewees, 2001). Many countries have now developed, or are in the process of developing, changes to national policies and legislation that institutionalise PFM. PFM encompasses a wide range of different co-management arrangements with different levels of control from relatively conservative “benefit sharing” to genuine “community-based natural resource management” where local communities have full control over management of the resource and the allocation of costs and benefits (Wily, 2002). Participatory forest management encompass processes and mechanisms that enable people who have a direct stake in forest resources to be part of decision-making in all aspects of forest management, from managing resources to formulating and implementing institutional frameworks. Notable among the participatory forestry management approaches are Joint Forest Management (JFM), Community Based Forest Management (CBFM) and Collaborative Forest Management (CFM). All these approaches tend to

Land use/cover change and perceived watershed status in Eastern Uganda

This study assessed the current status of Awoja in Ngora district of Eastern Uganda. Remote sensing, household survey, In Pac S methodology and focus group discussions were used to acquire data from April to July, 2015. Landsat satellite imageries from 2007 and 2013 were acquired by USGS Earth Explorer to quantify land use/cover changes. Five land use/cover types were identified namely; (1) open water (2) wetland (3) tree cover (4) agriculture and (5) built up area. The findings indicate a fivefold increase in built up area by 154.27Km 2 and open water changed by 8.7 Km 2 and a reduction in wetland area by -1.0Km 2 tree cover by -48.07Km 2 and agriculture area by -11.4.0Km 2 . The survey results indicated deforestation, wetland encroachment, poor attitude and over population as the main reasons for degradation. In Pac S methodology findings showed convergence in the perceived indicator of degraded watershed in terms of water and soil quality; vegetation type and species diversity among the lay people and technocrats. The focus group discussion findings indicated a negative trend in land use/cover change. There is need for a concerted effort to design an appropriate restoration strategy for Awoja. Keywords: Land use/cover, remote sensing, GIS and other methods