PJB-2025-51
INTEGRATING TREES AND CROPS: SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF AGROFORESTRY IN DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR, PAKISTAN
MUHAMMAD MADNEE
Abstract
Agroforestry is a combination of trees and crops being practiced with or without livestock traditionally. The present work is an effort to find socio-economic impact of farmland trees in District Bahawalpur, Pakistan. A detailed questionnaire was used for 250 respondents to be interviewed from different tehsils through random sampling in order to collect a reliable data. Results indicated that people are interested in monoculture crops (71.35%) rather than agroforestry (28.65%). Agroforestry systems in the area follows as Agri Silviculture (47.6%), Agrisilvopastoral 40%, and Silvo-pastoral (12.4%). Major source of energy is fuelwood (7.82%) after agricultural residues (67.08%). 84.8% were landholders and cultivating land for various purposes and remainder are tenants. Dominant multipurpose tree species in the area were Vachellia nilotica, Albizzia lebbek, and Dalbergia sissoo and few others generating up to about 25,000 rupees/acre income yearly. Majority 42% of respondents relied for fuelwood having value PKR up to about 15,000. Number of trees varied from 5-12/hec and huge potential exists for increasing this number to 40 trees/hec. Irrigation needs are met through canals (64.4%), tube wells (22.4%) and rainfall (13.2%). Satellite data reveals that 64.70% area is under crops. It was established that integration of trees with farm crops help in income generation. During financial emergencies or after crops failure trees after livestock appear as a useful resource. The study indicated an increase in annual income and living standard of farming communities by adopting agroforestry. In the current economic situation of impoverished farming communities, integrating appropriate multipurpose tree species provides an alternate for poverty alleviation. To combat the misconceptions, extension services are required. Incentives and projects that generate cash should also be implemented to persuade people to keep trees on farmland. The socioeconomic circumstances of the region under study will be improved with the help of this research's future application.
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