GTZ Project Document No. 51 Report on Nahi Baseline Survey

Nahi Baseline Survey April- May 2001machineries, take up more cash crops and develop orchards. The influence of the road isalready reflected in the desire and plans of some farmers to go for a change in their farmproduction practices. Approximately a total of 27 households (28%) from the upper andlower valley expressed the interest to grow more vegetables and fruits for trading in themarket.Table 3.2 Farmers’ visions and different activities to be taken upFarmers vision Nabisa Esagom Total Esawom Hebisa TotalGrandTotalProduce more vegetables& fruits 7 6 13 5 10 14 27Purchase farm machinery 0 2 2 1 3 4 6Cultivate more cash crops 3 3 6 2 2 8Plans for orchard 2 0 2 2 7 9 11Walnut plantation 3 0 3 2 2 5Enlarge potato cultivation 1 0 3 4 1 5 8<strong>No</strong> change (labourshortage) 1 0 1 3 3 4Construct a house nearthe road 0 1 1 0 1Source: RRA Survey May 20013.5 Forest and the roadLike for any place Nahi’s motorable road is an important infrastructure developmentbestowing much hope and expectations by the farmers for the overall development of thevalley. The road provides hope to the people for changing their farm activities, but at thesame time some negative impacts are also unavoidable in some areas. For example asmany feel and perceive, the use and extraction of the forest resources from the valley isexpected to increase with the opening of access road into the valley. However, farmersresponded diversely when they are asked to comment on the road and its impact on thevalley’s forest resources. Many are unable to share any views while some replied, “ Ihave no idea” or “I have never thought about it” and with some good reasons from somerespondents as well.Some farmers with better and clearer outlook expect the intensity of forest resourceextraction like timber and other products to increase with the road. As mentioned earlier,since Nahi valley is virtually covered with forest it is rich in timber and non-timber forestresources. Therefore, some farmers feel that with the road many outsiders may come andstart extracting forest resources especially timber from their valley.In the past, beside the people from the valley, not many outsiders extracted timber fromNahi valley, except a few households from Gaselo. Nahi has a good forest coverage butthe potential to contain a huge volume of high quality timber for harvest and ensuring along term economic viability is questionable. Therefore, it is assumed that this veryreason may keep away the interested of the FDC. However, with the access road it is35