Authors : V.A.J. Adekunle , V.A.J. Adekunle and K. Ajao
Abstract: The contribution of edible mushrooms to rural livelihood was assessed in this study. Data were collected with well-structured questionnaire administered on 150 randomly selected household heads from ten villages distributed among four Local Government Areas of Oyo State, Nigeria. The result reveals that majority of the respondents (95%) were actively involved in collection, consumption and sales of the commodity. Consumption of mushrooms was not affected by educational status, occupation and social background of the respondents. It was also discovered that the consumption substituted for animal proteins usually absent in rural dwellers’ diet. The respondents have secured gainful employment and income from the sale of this important non-timber forest product as substantial amount of money was being realized from its sales. The seasonal occurrence of this product is discovered as the major setback to its constant availability. For its potentials to be fully realized, cultivation of the product should be embarked upon so as to make it available throughout the year.
V.A.J. Adekunle , V.A.J. Adekunle and K. Ajao , 2005. Contributions of Edible Mushroom (A Non-timber Forest Product of Tropical Forest Ecosystem) to Rural Livelihood in Oyo State, Nigeria . Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 3: 809-812.