| dc.description.abstract | The role of agroforestry in supporting food and nutritional security has been widely recognized in especially rural parts of developing Countries. It is factual that, physical and economic accessibility to food is still insufficient to meet the dietary needs of people throughout the year. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the contribution of agroforestry to food security in Ntwetwe sub-county, Kyankwazi district. The objectives included; Assessing the household’s knowledge of Agro-forestry application in land productivity improvement, Assessing the contribution of agro-forestry practices to household food security, finally, Investigating the challenges faced by households in applying agro-forestry practices for soil fertility improvement.
A survey of farming households was undertaken, and responses were obtained using a detailed questionnaire. Various methods including random, purposive and mult-stage sampling were used to obtain 60 respondents whom at most one was a member of a household. Different AF systems and practices were being embraced in the area and these included; scattered trees/shrubs in crop fields, home gardens, wide row intercropping and windbreaks, hedge row planting, ornamental planting and live fencing.The study revealed that, diversified tree spp and shrubs were being grown by farming households to serve different roles. Mostly, fruit trees such asMangiferaindica, Persea Americana, Artocarpusheterophyllus, timber trees such as Eucalyptus grandis, and shade trees including Ficusspecies were grown and retainedduring land preparations to help in soil fertility improvement that at end resulted in increased productivity of land.
Agroforestry practices helped obtain various food types including fruits, cereals and proteins, fats and oils from animals throughout the year. Fuel wood, medicinal purposes of different trees and shrubs, timber, poles and fodder were all the benefits households obtained from agroforestry. Despite the benefits obtained, Farmers reported that; they were facing different challenges related to; inadquate skills, inadequate planting materials, unfavorable climate,pests and diseases, and the lacked of reliable and secure market for the different farm products obtained
Providing technical guidance to the farmers about suitable tree species grown on agricultural land through orientations and workshops would help enhance farmer’s capacity in managing agroforestry components. Also, clear guidelines on which systems work best under given circumstances, tree-crop site combinations for optimal production of various components should be availed and highlighted to the farmer households. | en_US |
