Role of Non-Timber Forest Products in Income Enhancement of Mountainous People of Swat and Mansehra Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Role of Non-Timber Forest Products in Income Enhancement of Mountainous People of Swat and Mansehra Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Ayaz Ahmed1*, Muhammad Zulfiqar1 and Saadutullah Khan2
ABSTRACT
This study analyzed the role of non-timber forest products in income enhancement of mountainous people of purposively selected two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa namely Swat and Mansehra. From these districts six villages were selected purposively and from those villages sample size of 321 households was selected randomly. In the study areas majority (45%) of sample households had 5 to 10 family members which indicated joint family system. Literacy status in study areas was very low (30%). Sayed, Swati, Awan, Gujjar and Kohistani tribes were residing in the study villages. Crop production was their primary occupation, secondary livestock rearing; tertiary sale of non-timber forest products; fourth source of income was remittances and fifth was labor work respectively. Study results discovered that 69% of sample households had earned income from the sale of NTFPs above mean income (60458 Pakistani rupees) per season while 31% of sample households had earned income from the sale of NTFPs below mean income (60458 Pakistani rupees) per season. Sample households reported that during emergencies, only income earned from non-timber forest products stabilized their economy. Sample households identified certain market constraints that were responsible for low earning from NTFPs. These were lack of road infrastructure, communication, storage and market facilities, no information about product price, negative role of middleman and informal money lending process. Based on these findings this study made following recommendations. Road, communication and storage facilities should be built in the study areas. Villager’s access to information about certain NTFP price and its market should be enhanced through radio and other media. Forest department should design plan for management and sustainable extraction of NTFPs in study areas and also provide tools and trainings to local collectors.
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