Benefits of Agroforestry on Smallholder Farms in Jigawa State, Nigeria

With about 80% of people in Jigawa involved in agriculture, it is safe to say agriculture lies at the heart of the economy in the state. However, a combination of crude implements, inadequate artificial fertilizers, all add to the tedious environmental setting in which farming is carried out. This study attempts to show how agroforestry practice yields much needed benefits in the study area. The study used multistage sampling; three zones in the state, Jigawa northwest, Jigawa northeast and Jigawa south. Out of each zone, 3 Local Government LGA were selected, out of which 50 respondents were purposively targeted from each community making an overall total 450 respondents. Descriptive statistics using mean, percentages and use of table and figures were used for the analysis. The results show that the benefits derived by the respondents are fertility maintenance 83%, fodder for livestock 81%, Micro-climate has moderation 66%. Increasingly as in other parts northern Nigeria, results show a number of tree species noted for their medicinal value are becoming extinct due to the pressures of demand both in forests and on farms. The study recommends boosting further research to conserve these disappearing species from extinction.