Southern African Forestry Journal, 198:1, 45-51
The ox skidding project was initiated with the objective ofusing oxen for transporting logs from the stump
sites to the landings. Itwas supposed to be a participatory research project aimed at integrating scientific
knowledge with practical skills and resource base ofthe local farmers. Specifically the main objective of
the project was to encourage local farmers (villagers) to use their animals to skid logs in the surrounding
forest plantations in order to improve their incomes and create employment opportunities to the
surrounding communities especially the youth. A socio-economic survey was carried out after 6 years to
assess the impact ofthe project to the oxowners who have been participatingin the project, the oxhandlers,
the surrounding villages and the forest plantations. Data was collected through administering semistructured
questionnaires to ox owners, village leaders, ox handlers and the management of the forest
plantations. Results indicate that the ox skidding project has been a reliable andvaluable source ofincome
besides offering employment to young people with only limited education. The project has improved the
household income, life style and standard ofliving ofsome farmers and above all, changed the local peoples'
attitudes towards the importance of the surrounding forest resources. Most of the local people feel that
they are now part of the surrounding forests as they participate to some extent in the management and
protection ofthese forest resources. The project has in addition created awareness among the community
that oxen can also be used in forest operations besides undertaking agricultural activities. The project
found that given the operating conditions of the skidding tractors in this area, ox skidding was more
reliable and more cost effective than the tractor skidding system. Through this project, it has been possible
to improve the workingrelationships between the surroundlngvillagesandforest plantations management.
The projecthas also led to some ofthe surroundingvillages establishing village environmental committees,
which work very closely with forest plantation management. The sustainability of the ox skidding system
introduced in this area is likely to continue since farmers surrounding these plantations keep cattle and
there are not many alternative job opportunities for the young people.