Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Collection of Gum Myrrh and Opoponax from the Wild in Wajir County, Kenya

Abstract

This study aimed at generating information to streamline gum myrrh and opoponax collection andpost-harvest handling activities to support livelihood of local communities in Wajir County. Theresource managers, producer and other stakeholders were interviewed using pre-tested checklists andquestionnaires. A total of 187 gum resin respondents were purposefully sampled. The findings showed that the main economic activity was pastoralism. The gum resins were gaining popularityand were harvested by professional gum resin collectors through either natural exudates or tappingfor domestic and commerce purposes. Each collector harvested an average of 4 kg/day and 3 kg/dayof Malmal and Hagar respectively during the June-September peak production. The household size, distance to the market and number of trees harvested significantly influenced quantity of hagar collected per day at 99% confidence interval. Alternatively, the distance to the market significantlyinfluenced the quantity of malmal harvested per day at 99% confidence interval. Thus to ensureenhanced benefits to collectors, it is recommended that national and county governments enhancetechnical support and strengthen the capacity of collectors and institutions