SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY OF RHYCHOPHORUS PHOENICS LARVA IN EDO/DELTA. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
ABSTRACT
The study was embarked upon to investigate the socio-economic indices of producers (farmers), processors, marketers and consumers of Rhynchophorus Phoenicis (Edible worm) in some selected communities in Edo and Delta State. The study was the descriptive survey type of research design. The main instrument used for data collection in the study was the focus group discussion and the research questionnaire Analysis of data collected revealed that Rhynchophorus Phoenicis was highly accepted and consumed as a delicacy and as a substitute for fish and meat in their diets. Quite a number of people are involved in its farming, processing and marketing as a means of livelihood or the main source of income. It was also revealed that, its farming and marketing is more lucrative than my similar consumables like pork meat and suya. The farmers limits include basic edible worm production, preservation and processing techniques and to the consumers, the high cost of processed edible worm. Based on the findings, it was recommended that enabling policies and programmes be initiated and implemented to attract new comers into its farming in this era of high rate of unemployment in the country.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
SOCIO-ECONOMIC STUDY OF RHYNCHOPHORUS PHOENICIS (EDIBLE WORM)
Rhynchophorus Phoenicis larva is a maggot stage of the African palm weevil (Rhynchophorus Phoenicis) it is the second stage of the common complete metamorphosis of the life cycle of the African weevil. It belongs to the group of insects. Insects, generally has played a well known role in the diet of both human and animals nutrition from the inception of life on earth (Defoliant, 1992 and Aiyesami, 1999).
Some important group of insects includes grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetle, beetle grubs (such as meal worms), termites, bees, ant larvae and pulpae others include cicades and a variety of aquatic insects, crickets (Gordon et al, 1998). Evidence has been found analyzing coprolites from caves ion USA and Mexico. Coprolites in caves in the Ozark Mountains were found to contain ants, beetle larvae, lice, ticks, and mites (Way, et. al., 2004). This is not unexpected, and there are some deep evolutionary precursors.
Insectory also features in various degrees amongst primates, such as marmosets and tamaims, and indeed there is some suggestion that the earliest primates were nocturnal, harbored insectivores (Weiss and Mann, 1985). To most extent Apes are to a greater or lesser extent, insectivorous (Tutin, Carolene, et al 1992; McGrew, 1992, and Coodell, 1986).
Human insect-eating is known in cultures in different parts of the world, such as North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. Over 100 insects are known to be eaten in 80% of the worlds nation (Domian, 2011).
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.