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Evaluation of Non-Timber forest Products (NTFPs) In Bronze Casting Enterprise at Egun Street, Benin City, Edo state
Kalu, C. & Aigbobo, E.N.
Abstract
Evaluation of NTFPs input in bronze casting at Igun Street in Benin City was carried out with the use of
measurement of inputs and questionnaires. Fifty percent sampling intensity was used to obtain 42 from the total population
of 84 Bronze Casters. Data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics of frequency, percentages and inferential
statistics using ANOVA. Results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) among the mean weight of the
inputs. The results revealed that the seasonal price variation among the various inputs were 30, 22, 38 and 10% of the
respondents for charcoal, beeswax, fuelwood and laterite respectively. The patronage levels of bronze users were always
(34.51%), sometimes and once a while accounted for 45.22 and 20.24% respectively. Difficulties associated with sourcing
of bronze casting inputs were expensive nature, scarcity, exportation, exotic nature and unstable supply which accounted
for 34.43, 27.05, 34.43, 2.46 and 1.64% respectively. Also, 100% of the respondents were of the view that bronze was
very difficult to source while 42.42% of them were of the opinion that beeswax was difficult to source. Charcoal, laterite
and fuelwood were easy to sources expressed by 28.33, 27.51 and 9.10% of the respondents’ respectively. It is necessary to
ensure sustainable management of NTFPs so as to guarantee their steady supply at reasonably low prices for bronze casting
enterprise.
Keywords
Bronze casting, beeswax, charcoal, fuelwood, enterprise
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