Potential socio-economic impact of replacing traditional woven baskets with reusable plastic crates on livelihoods of basket makers in southeast Nigeria

In Nigeria, packaging of fresh fruits and vegetables especially tomatoes is mostly done using traditional woven baskets from palm fronds. There is a belief that the introduction of reusable plastic crates (RPC) may take away the source of livelihood of basket makers and sellers who are majorly domiciled in the southeastern zone of Nigeria. The study assessed the potential socio-economic impact of replacing baskets with plastic crates for fresh tomato transportation on the livelihoods of basket makers in southeast Nigeria. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Overall, 430 basket makers were drawn from 16 basket production villages in Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Enugu states of the southeast. The primary source of income for the majority of the respondents (90.6%) was basket making, with other sources of income being mostly trading (21.3%) and farming (18.6%). About 28.9% of the respondents' income was between N11,000 and N20,000, while 34.7% were earning less thanN10,00 and 36.4% earning above N20,000. As many as 76.7% were willing to diversify into other businesses, particularly trading (37.3%), provision selling (16%) and skilled work (10.6%). The major challenges identified in diversifying were shortage of capital (96.3%) and a lack of prerequisite skills (3.7%). These challenges could be resolved by government intervention (47.8%), provision of financial aid, (39.2%); new jobs (2.2%) and loans (3.2%). Alternative income-generating activities include opening a provision store, food selling, rearing of animals/animal husbandry, trading in automobile spare parts, fruit selling, meat selling, bakery and confectionary. The perceived impacts of replacing baskets with RPCs were joblessness, increased poverty, crime and prostitution, rural urban drift and a dwindling economy. It is thus recommended that plastic crate introduction should be gradual and systematic and basket makers should be properly sensitized and informed. Government and non-governmental organizations should assist basket makers in mitigating the potential impact of replacing baskets with RPCs.