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Poverty Dimensions of Public Governance and Forest Management ...

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Table 4.2 Fallow intervals in cropping systems<br />

Percentage <strong>of</strong> plots under different fallowing intervals in different cropping systems<br />

Cropping system<br />

Continuous<br />

Cropping<br />

1-2 years<br />

fallow<br />

3-6 years<br />

fallow<br />

7-10<br />

years<br />

fallow<br />

over 10<br />

years<br />

fallow<br />

No. <strong>of</strong><br />

farm<br />

Plots<br />

Yam-cassava 1 12 36 36 15 113<br />

Yam-maize . 13 67 13 7 15<br />

Yam-cassava-maize (%) . 8 58 29 . 24<br />

Maize-cassava 2 22 46 22 9 46<br />

Sole maize 3 29 47 10 11 62<br />

Sole groundnut . 26 44 18 13 39<br />

Cassava-groundnut . 29 49 15 7 41<br />

Sole cassava . 42 42 12 4 26<br />

by taking l<strong>and</strong> out <strong>of</strong> the fallow system, it diminishes the available area <strong>and</strong> increases pressures to<br />

secure rights to farm l<strong>and</strong>. Paradoxically, therefore, it is the introduction <strong>of</strong> new technologies<br />

which have created pressures for change in the tenure system in the Brong Ahafo, not the<br />

incompatibility <strong>of</strong> increasing population densities with traditional swidden systems.<br />

4.1.7 Population <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> tenure<br />

The low population densities <strong>of</strong> the Brong Ahafo are reflected in the l<strong>and</strong> tenure systems. Only<br />

2% <strong>of</strong> plots (n.816) were cultivated under share cropping arrangements. Sharecropping is<br />

concentrated in the semi-deciduous forest settlement <strong>of</strong> Buoku, where 11% <strong>of</strong> all farm plots are<br />

farmed in this way.<br />

L<strong>and</strong> hiring <strong>and</strong> leasing are generally relatively rare; only 6% <strong>of</strong> farmers lease l<strong>and</strong>, though this<br />

spreads across all ecological zones.<br />

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