Abstract

The study investigated farm wastes? utilisation for wealth generation among rural dwellers in Osun state, Nigeria. Specifically, farm waste items in the study area were identified and their economic potentials for utilisation were documented. Multi-stage procedure was used to select 364 respondents sampled for the study. Primary data were collected through interview schedule, Focus Group Discussion and Key Informant interview. Frequency counts and percentages were used to describe data collected while chi-square and correlation analysis were used to make deductions. Result showed that cassava and yam peels, maize stalks and cobs, cowpea husk, palm kernel shell, empty palm fruit bunch, cocoa pods, poultry droppings, sheep and goat faeces were amongst farm waste items with economic potentials in the study area. Results of Chi-square analysis show that there was significant association between extent of farm waste utilisation and gender (?2 = 10.38), farm land acquisition (?2 = 51.00), ethnicity (?2 = 19.67) and nativity (?2 = 10.40) of respondent at p ? 0.05. Also, results of correlation analysis show that total farm size (r = 0.135), total herd size (r = 0.198) and income (r = 0.158) had positive and significant relationship with extent of farm waste utilisation at p ? 0.01 while information sources (r = -0.262) had negative but significant relationship with extent of farm waste utilisation at p ? 0.01. It was concluded that there were varieties of farm waste items with good economic potentials for utilisation in the study area which if well utilised could be harnessed to empower rural dwellers economically thereby enhancing their livelihoods.

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