The contribution of Mopane Worms (Gonimbrasia belina) as NTFP to rural communities in the wake of El Nino induced droughts as case of Ward 12 Beitbridge District Zimbabwe · Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author

Mafuratidze, Regis

Title

The contribution of Mopane Worms (Gonimbrasia belina) as NTFP to rural communities in the wake of El Nino induced droughts as case of Ward 12 Beitbridge District Zimbabwe

Abstract

The research sought to assess the contribution of Mopane worms Imbresia belina to rural communities during times of El Nino drought with emphasis on Ward 12 Beitbridge district. An inventory into the Mopane tree’s distribution as a resource base for the mopane worms was carried out alongside the various processes, quantities and uses of the mopane worms in ward 12. The research sites were picked based on areas were the Mopane worms usually occur in the Ward. The sampling method of an Adaptive cluster was then used to sample the Mopane trees to support the NDVI desktop study which had been carried out to determine the distribution of the trees. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents in the ward and a questionnaire was administered using the Kobo toolbox which had questions that related to the processes, quantities and the various benefits/uses of the Mopane worm in ward 12. The respondents in Ward 12 pointed out that they mainly used the plucking and picking method in their harvesting of the worms an on average in a good season they would harvest up to 220kg and in a bad season it would then go down to about 40kg. The main uses of the of the mopane worms that came from the respondents were consumption and trade though some of the respondents acknowledged that the mopane worms were also used as stock feed though they had not practiced it in their ward. Climate changed emerged as the leading risk to the existence of Mopane worms in the ward as longer dry spells like the recent one being caused by the El nino induced drought are destroying the resource base as well as destroying the eggs of the Mopane worms before they pupate. The various Stakeholders in Ward 12 were encouraged to plant more trees to cater for the lack of trees in the areas around the homesteads as it would go a long way in mitigating the devastating effects of climate change that they were presently facing. Value addition and beneficiation was also encouraged so that the community would realize more profits from the sales of the Mopane and they can store them for later use in times of drought.

Date

JUNE 2024

Publisher

BUSE

Keywords

Elnino, Mopane Worms,Ward 12 Beitbridge District

Supervisor

Dr Siziba