ABSTRACT:

The present study assessed the perceived effect of agroforestry on Agricultural livelihood and the farm output of rural smallholder farmers in Imo state, Nigeria. This investigation identifies the agroforestry practices farmers are involved in, the constraints to agroforestry practices in the study area as perceived by smallholder farmers and ascertain perceived effects of agroforestry on rural household livelihood and output in the area. A total of 270 farmers were selected through multi stage sampling techniques. A questionnaire was employed to collect data from the farmers, which was then analyzed using percentages and presented in frequency tables, along with mean and standard deviation and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that farmers are involved in agroforestry practices agro-horticulture (planting fruit trees or other perennial crops with annual crops) (74.1%), Improve crop fallow (leaving crops or shrubs in natural fallows in order to improve soil) (72.2%), agro-silviculture (growing trees with crops) (65.9%). The identified constraint to agroforestry practice lack of land security, lack of processing machineries and control over land. The result also showed that the effect of agroforestry on agricultural livelihood and farm out of smallholder farmers was high with a grand mean of 2.95. Rural farmers do not differ in the perceived effects of agroforestry on their agricultural livelihood and farm output of farmers in the 3 agricultural zones of Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe of Imo State.