Utilization of Shea nut among Farmers in Two Selected Local Government Area of Ogbomoso Agricultural Zones, Oyo State

Abstract

Shea nut is very important cash crop for mainly rural women. Utilization of Shea nut among farmers in two selected Local Government Area of Ogbomoso Agricultural Zones, Oyo state was therefore investigated. Multistage sampling procedure was used to carry out this study in Orire and Ogo-Oluwa Local Government Area in Ogbomoso Agricultural zone, which were purposely selected due to the concentration of Shea nuts in the areas and 100 respondents were randomly selected which gives as sample size. Data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics such as (frequency counts and percentages. Result of analysis revealed that female respondents are more than male in the study area, due to their high involvement in Shea nut processing and also fell within their active ages, with majority of them are married and had primary education also using farming as their main source of livelihood. The result also revealed that 46% of the respondents sometimes take the nut as their whole meal, 43% equally take it in its season, 42% take even if expensive, 53% make use of the nut for edible oil and 48% take the nut before breakfast due to its nutrient supplication. Also, majority 62% of the respondents strongly agree that Shea nut is the major economical part of the Shea tree, 56% agree that burning Shea tree into charcoal is major source of income, 40% strongly agree that Processing into soap is also source of income, 42% agree that Shea nut is medicinal and it is used for the treatment of diseases and sickness and 42% strongly agree that production of edible oil from the nut in the study area. It is therefore recommended that; effective effort to increase productivity along the Shea value chain should allow Shea processor to sustain those improvements on income and livelihoods. Thus, it is hoped if the right quality and quantity is made available prospects for large quantities of Nigeria Shea butter are good, making nut collection and processing an interesting incoming generating activities in rural areas and also processor should be trained on how to produce Shea butter that will be acceptable in the International market using Agricultural Development Programs.