164
There were some important differences between the two provinces as well. Chemicals (i.e.,
pesticides and herbicides) other than fertilizers are much more commonly used in Southern (38
percent) than Eastern province (16 percent) due to the forger's better location relative to the Lusaka
market. Farmers in Eastern province were much more likely to construct bunds (53 percent versus
8 percent) and to undertake any earthwork than their counterparts in Southern province. The bunding
is used primarily on gently sloping upland fields, but sometimes also in the low-lying wetlands. The
higher incidence of earthworks in Eastern province is at least partially explained by its undulating
terrain relative to the "flat" topography of Southern province.
C. Tree products and tree planting
This section is a very brief summary of tree planting in the study sites and is adapted from
Chinene, Hansungule, and Place (1994). To understand on-farm tree planting, it is first necessary to
know what types of tree products and services are used and how households obtain them. Depending
on the tree product or service, the main sources will be common woodlands or forests, friends and
neighbors, the market, and one's own farm. When a product is plentiful from commonly used areas,
there is a reduced incentive to expend one's labor and capital to reproduce it on-farm.' Table 5.9
shows that there are considerable disincentives to grow trees for some important products, especially
in Eastern province where the commons provide the bulk of firewood, poles, and medicines. Fruits,
on the other hand, are normally not found in the commons. Specific services from trees such as shade,
windbreak, and fencing must necessarily be obtained from on-farm trees.
Table 5.9: Aspects of tree product and tree planting by households
|
Southern province |
Eastern province | |
|
Percentage of households using common lands for: | ||
|
Fuelwood |
81 |
87 |
|
Poles |
64 |
83 |
|
Medicine Percentage of households planting: |
36 |
84 |
|
Fruit trees |
76.0 |
42.7 |
|
Multipurpose trees |
46.0 |
11.5 |
|
Any tree in past 5 years |
46.0 |
16.7 |
|
Principal fruits |
mango, guava, papaya |
mango, guava, papaya |
|
Principal multipurpose trees |
Cassia siamea |
none |
Fruit trees are by far the most commonly planted trees by households. Mango (Mangifera
indica) was planted on 55 percent and 33 percent of households in Southern and Eastern province,
22
Assuming that the distance to the common source is not too great.