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Download Article © June 2019 | IJIRT | Volume 6 Issue 1 | ISSN: 2349-6002 Production, Marketing and Utilization of Aframomum melegueta (Rosc) K. Schum in Ekiti State, Nigeria A.A. Omoyeni Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, Ekiti State University, P.M.B. 5363, Ado- Ekiti, Nigeria Abstract- Non Timber Forest Products are highly valued (1997) viewed Forests as local or regional segments among the rural people, they are gathered, utilized of landscapes in which biological and ecological within the household and sold for income to improve conditions and processes are dominated by the their livelihood. This study examines the production, presence of trees - large, generally long-lived marketing and utilization of Aframomum melegueta perennial plants characterized by a large woody stem and its role in the livelihood of people in Ekiti state. Primary data were collected through structured and a large woody root system. The forest and other questionnaires from 200 randomly selected respondents types of Nigeria‟s natural vegetation form an integral comprising of 10 producers, 20 marketers and 20 part of the rural economy, providing subsistence consumers from four (4) communities in each selected goods and services as well as items of trade (Okafor, Local Government Area of the state. The result of the 1993). Collectively, these forest goods and services study showed that Aframomum melegueta is preserved are referred to as forest resources. The demand for or cultivated on small scale mainly for medicinal values, these resources rises sharply with economic growth. erosion control as well as boundary delineation on Until recently, forests have been traditionally valued farmland. Chi-square test of 10.16 and 9.96 (p<0.05) as a source of timber and pulpwood production with shows that a significant relationship exist between land acquisition methods and Aframomum melegueta little or no consideration of other goods and services cultivation; consumer’s income and demand for the it provides. There is greater emphasis on timber and produce respectively. The species is greatly affected by pulp products because of their income generation drought, scarcity of planting stocks, inaccessibility of capacity. However, there exist other several products suitable land, ignorance and traditional beliefs. The of greater importance to the local economy that may Cost-Benefit-Ratio (CBR) of 3.95 and the mean be obtained from the forest. These products are Marketing Margin (MM) of N6,500 recorded in the hitherto described as „minor forest products‟ (Salisu, study area indicates an index of viability and 2015) secondary products‟, by-products‟ or non- profitability of the produce. The study also revealed timber forest products (NTFPs). that the species apart from generation of considerable employment and income has wider traditional and Non-timber forest products according to FAO (1991), medicinal uses on a variety of ailment. The study are resources/products other than industrial round further recommended that farmers should also be wood, and derived sawn timber, wood chips, wood encouraged on path of production through provision of based panels, and pulp that may be extracted from planting stock and land by relevant agencies, effort forest ecosystem, and are utilized within the should also be intensified at integrating Aframomum household, or are marketed or have social, cultural or melegueta into Agroforestry system. religious significance. However, it is now increasingly being realised that some of the locally Index terms- Aframomum melegueta, production, available NTFPs can be equal to or exceed in marketing, utilization, Ekiti state importance than some wood products (Okafor, 1993). INTRODUCTION The importance or contribution of these NTFPs to rural economics is vital and substantial as women Forest resources are highly valued productive exploit them for financial reasons. They are gathered resources among the rural people all over Africa and sold for income. The use of these resources (Adedayo, Oyun and Kadeba, 2010). Kimmins offers enormous opportunities for rural women in IJIRT 148360 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN TECHNOLOGY 825 © June 2019 | IJIRT | Volume 6 Issue 1 | ISSN: 2349-6002 Nigeria to improve their livelihood, support their (Purseglove, 1985). It is a perennial herb called households and improve their marginalized position “Grain of paradise”. It is also known as Cameroon (Adedayo et al., 2010) cardamom and in some places it has been referred to NTFPs do support cottage industries, most especially as “Guinea grains” or “melegueta pepper”. in rural areas where they are produced and they help in improving the well-being of local people without SPECIES DISTRIBUTION depleting rural resources (Wickens, 1991). Such industries tend to reduce the rural-urban population Aframomum melegueta is a tropical plant found in drift, problems of massive unemployment, and total West African with its centre of distribution in Indo- dependency on government for job and the uneven malaya (Purseglove, 1985). However, Oloke (1997) distribution of the national income. The relationship opined that its country of origin was unknown, but between NTFPs and the rural economy is subtle, but held for its high value. By nature it grows in the wild there is no reliable data in the past and to some extent and is also cultivated sporadically in Ethiopia, even to the present on which this could be quantified Nigeria, and nearby regions (Prabhakaran, 2011). In due to lack of knowledge about these resources, and Cameroon, five different species of Aframomun were the demand for them as well as the value of their recognised to have attained prominence. These products which make management planning difficult. include grains of paradise and other four species The quest for non-timber forest produce for called by their local names viz: the juicy Cardamom; medicinal, spice, antibiotics and other economic, Sweet cardamom; Liyambi cardamom and fragrant social and traditional purposes cannot be over- cardamom (Dupriez and Leener, 1989). In Nigeria, emphasized. These include malaria, pile, jaundice, Aframomum melegueta is often cultivated in towns febrile, asthma and oral contraception etc (Soladoye and villages such as Abeokuta, Akure, Benin, and Oni 1993). The dynamism in technologies had Calabar, Ibadan, Ife, Ilesha, Ondo, Onitsha and Owo led to the discovery of essential, and volatile oils (Isawumi, 1994). from the seeds of Aframomum melegueta used as antibiotics and antifungal (Oloke, 1997). However, GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES one of the major challenge facing resources conservation in Nigeria is the ever increasing Aframomum melegueta is a monocotyledonous plant. population which has led to pressure on many forest It is perennial with leafy, erect and un-branched shoot products. Pressures are imposed on the forest of about 1m tall. The individual grows from an generally through human activities ranging from elongated rootstock (Rhizome) level with the ground. over-exploitation for various uses to non-replacement The leaves are bamboo-like with narrow lanceolate of the removed species. The ever increasing pressures and alternately arranged along the stem. It varies both had resulted in the dwindling supplies and fast in length and width about 18-22cm and 1.8-2.5cm disappearance or outright extinction of several respectively (Purseglove, 1985). The length and species of indigenous fruit trees and other NTFPs. It width of Aframomum melegueta varies considerably is in this view that this study seeks to examine the according to species (Dupriez and Leener, 1989). mode of production, marketing and utilization of Flowers and fruits are borne at the base of the plant. Aframomum melegueta in Ekiti state, with respect to Flowers are white or yellow tinted with red or violet. accessing factor militating against its production, Fruiting occurs between September and April assessing its profitability and diverse utilization (Isawumi, 1994). Fresh fruits are smooth, grooved patterns in the study areas. with colour range from red to orange when matured. Matured fruits are usually hunted for and harvested NOMENCLATURE OF SPECIES from spontaneous plants growing in fallows by path, streams in valley bottom and wet land during off Aframomum melegueta (Rosc) K. Schum, is a non- season. Dried fruits are brown containing numerous wood forest product belonging to the plant family small brownish angular seed with cardamom flavour Zingiberaceae (Dzoyem, McGaw, Kuete and (Dupriez and Leener, 1989). The root system is Bakwowsky, 2017) and sub-family Zingiberoideae formed by rhizome from the node of which deep IJIRT 148360 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN TECHNOLOGY 826 © June 2019 | IJIRT | Volume 6 Issue 1 | ISSN: 2349-6002 roots originate. The rhizomatous characteristic of the well as consumer‟s income and demand for the root ensure the regeneration of new plants from the produce. Both Benefit-Cost analysis and marketing parent stock. By nature, Aframomum melegueta is a margin were used to determine the profitability of shade loving plants which grow spontaneously in Aframomum melegueta venture as described by thickets. Apart from growing in the wild trough Popoola (1998). natural regeneration, it is often cultivated in most lowland forest region. The plant is cultivated in shade RESULT AND DISCUSSION of fruit trees in plantations and orchards (Oladokun, 1990). Table1 revealed that majority of Aframomum MATERIALS AND METHODS melegueta producers (100%) and consumers
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