Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
175
16
Upland agriculture and forestry research for
improving livelihoods in Lao PDR
Bouahom Bounthong, John Raintree and Linkhan
Douangsavanh
National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute,
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
P.O. Box 811, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Introduction
With a total land area of 236,800 km2 and a population of
5,526,000 (National Statistic Centre, 2002), Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (Lao PDR) is one of the least densely populated Asian
country (23.3 people km-2). There are 3,500 people per thousand ha
of cultivated cropland in Lao PDR as compared to 2,600 in Thailand
and over 10,000 in Vietnam. With an annual population growth rate
of 2.5%, agricultural population density will double over next 30
years (Table 1). Despite of relatively low population density, carrying
capacity is likely to be lower than in other countries in the region
(STEA, 2000). Mountains cover 80% area of the country. Slopes >
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Bounthang et al
20% occupy 71% of land area, and half of this area is on slopes
>30%. Only 24% of area of the country has slopes <5% which is
considered to be suitable for agriculture. About 2 million ha (9% of
total area of the country) is considered to be potentially arable land
and half of it is currently cultivated. Prime agricultural land is,
however, very unevenly distributed. Most of it is confined to the
floodplains of the Mekong river in the central and southern part of
the country. In the northern region, only 6% of land area is with
slopes < 20% compared to 50% area on >30% slopes (Table 2). The
soils on these sloping lands are thin and prone to erosion. An
additional constraint to land available for agriculture is the presence
of American unexploded ordnance left from the war (UXO) on about
half of the land surface. This legacy of 1964-1975 conflict still
manages to kill more than 200 people per year and thus acts as a
fearsome deterrent to full agricultural use of the land.
Table 1. Population statistics of Lao PDR.
Total population
Urban
Rural
Agricultural population
Population growth rate
Doubling time
4,574,848
781,753
3,793,095
80%
2.46%
29 years
Forest resources: National perspective
Lao PDR has about 10 million ha of natural forests. About 3
million ha area (1.5% of the area of the country) has been set-aside
for National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (NBCAs). Forest cover
of the country declined from 70% of its area during 1970s to 47% at
present. Only 8% of forest area is classified as excellent forest cover.
Annual rate of deforestation is estimated as 0.3% area of the country.
Factors contributing to deforestation include shifting cultivation,
logging, unclear regulations and their loose enforcement and
encroachment in forests due to infrastructure and rural development
projects (MAF, 2000). After first National Forestry Conference held
in 1989, it was aimed to restore forests over 5 million ha area but
achievement is far from the stipulated target.
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
177
Table 2. Disaggregation of area of a given land use- land cover type
into slope classes (1,000 ha)
Land Use
Slope class (%)
Group
0-5
6-19
20-30
Current
2,678.8 651.1 3,795.3
Forest
Potential 1,137.5 589.3 3,969.2
Forest
Other
515.7
70.4
339.8
Wooded
Areas
Permanent 825.5
20.2
3.7
Agricultural
Land
Other Non- 409.8
51.1
364.4
Forest Land
Total
5,567.3 1,382.2 8,472.4
Total
31-59 >60
Area
3,072.0 970.8 11,167.0
2,740.5
512.4
8,949.9
323.3
195.0
1,444.2
0.0
0.0
849.2
322.5
121.6
1,269.4
6,458.3 1,799.8 23,679.7
Source: Department of Forestry (1992).
The people
Lao PDR is a multiethnic country. Academicians have
recognized some 230 ethno-linguistic groups in four linguistic
families compared to 47 ethnic categories stated in the National
Census of 1995. Sometimes to encourage national unity it is asserted
that ‘Lao PDR has no ethnic minorities’. A better stand, perhaps,
would be to classify people into three main ethnic sub-divisions: (a)
The Lao Loum, who live in lowlands around Mekong river valley
and account for 68% of total population, (b) The Lao Theung who
live in middle slope region, are thought to be the original inhabitants
of the modern Lao and account for 22% of population, and (c) The
Lao Soung, who live in highlands in extremely remote locations,
account for 10% of total population and are distinguished for retention
of traditional culture (UNDP Facts: The population of Lao PDR2002). The flatland area is getting more and more influenced by
market forces. In uplands, agriculture is of subsistence type and people
seem to be caught in a poverty trap (Table 3).
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Table 3. A comparison of
flatland and sloping land regions
Conditions in flatlands
Good road linkages and access
Agricultural technology
knowledge flows from regional
markets
Rural savings mobilization and
agricultural lending mechanisms
beginning to function
Domestic and regional markets
interacting
Monetized rural economy
Conditions in sloping lands
Poor road linkages
Very limited flows of
information related to
technology
Rural savings mobilization and
credit very limited
Little interaction of domestic
and regional market forces
Non-monetized rural economy
Source : The Government’s Strategic Vision for the Agricultural
Sector (MAF, 1999).
Biodiversity
Forests of the country are believed to harbour at least 10,000
species of vascular plants and animals. Agrobiodiversity is no less
exceptional. Lao PDR lies within the primary center of origin and
domestication of Asian rice (Oryza sativa L.). Almost 90% of genetic
stock of rice in International Rice Research Institute is drawn from
Lao and India PDR. Lao and India have made almost equal number
of contributions, even though India is a much larger country compared
to Lao (NAFRI and IRRI, 2000).
Ethnic minorities have played a major role in agrobiodiversity
conservation. There exist about 3,160 distinct names of varieties in
the minority languages. Farmers distinguish varieties based on
endosperm type (glutinous, non-glutinous), ecosystem (upland,
lowland, gardens), crop duration (early, medium, late maturity),
morphological features (color of spike, shape of spikelet, plant height,
the presence/absence of hairs on leaves and glumes, aroma and
tolerance to drought/flood (NAFRI and IRRI, 2000). As many as 18
low land varieties may be planted in a single village in order to reduce
risks of crop failure, distribute labor demand evenly and meet specific
grain quality/consumption standards. By far the greatest diversity,
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
179
however, is found in upland rice. We could sample 13 phenotypes
in one upland field. Ethnic groups may differ in respect of cultivation
methods and seed selection practices. The Khamu ethnic group selects
all phenotypes for seed purpose. Varieties grown by the Hmong
ethnic group are very uniform in external appearance.
Biophysical characteristics of the mountain areas
The northern mountainous region of Lao PDR has a moist to
dry sub-tropical climate with annual rainfall of 1,500-2,000 mm.
Slopes are steep and elevation higher than 1000 m amsl. The area
experiences a cooler dry season and higher range of variation in
temperature variation during the year than the rest of the country.
Soils tend to be acidic and heavily leached with low water retention
capacity, and hence not suitable for any intensive agriculture. The
central and southern mountainous region is spread over 500-1000 m
elevation and is generally characterized by moderate slopes. It has a
tropical monsoon climate with annual rainfall of 2,500-3,500 mm,
except for rain shadow area of the Boloven Plateau. Soils are similar
to those in the north with exception of the Boloven Plateau, which
has deep, well structured and less acidic soils with good water
retention capacity. Floodplain region of Mekong river supports more
than 50% of population, experience a moist tropical climate with
annual rainfall of 1,500-2,000 mm and are characterized by recent
alluvial deposits which are acidic, shallow and low in organic matter.
The younger alluvial soils are more fertile than the older terrace soils,
but are flooded frequently (STEA, 2000).
Upland livelihood systems
Marginalized by remoteness together with the vagaries of
nature, upland people are the poorest of the poor. Table 4 gives
selected features of major upland livelihood systems. Traditional
livelihoods are, however, changing rapidly under the influence of
policy interventions discouraging shifting cultivation/opium
production and encouraging highlanders to resettle in the lowlands.
The changes are often so drastic that ethnicity seems no longer a
good predictor of present livelihood patterns.
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Bounthang et al
Increasing land use and labor intensity
Low
Livelihood
systems
(combinations of
main
components)
Ethnic groups in
the Nakai Plateau
who practrice the
system
Forest
gathering +
incipient
swidden
Vietic
Groups
Swidden +
NTFPs &
livestock
for cash
income
Vietic
Groups,
Brou,
Hmong, Tai
Swidden &
wet rice +
livestock &
NTFPs for
cash income
Vietic
Groups,
Brou, Tai,
Sek
V
Table 4. Livelihood systems adopted by different upland ethnic groups
in Lao PDR
High
Wet rice, with
cash crops,
livestock &
trading
Brou, Tai,
Sek, Hmong
Source: Raintree and Sparkes (1998).
One can distinguish a variety of farming system types which
differ more in terms of proportion of different land uses than presence/
absence of a given land use type. For example, home gardens are
common to all farming systems but in rudimentary forms in areas
rich in forest resources and in more developed forms in areas where
forest resources are scarce. The different systems have been named
after the predominant land use type. Livestock husbandry is also part
of virtually all farming system types, but size and composition of
livestock holdings and management practices vary (Table 5). Nontimber forest products (NTFPs) account for 40-60% of annual
household income (Tables 6 & 7), reaching up to 80% in extremely
poor areas. NTFPs are safety-nets, providing a means of livelihood
at times when agriculture is a failure.
In shifting cultivation, a plot of primary or secondary vegetation
is cleared and farmed until weed and soil fertility problems reach a
point where labor productivity falls below an acceptable level. The
land is then fallowed to recover soil fertility and to check weed
population. This intervening fallow between two successive croppings
on the same site may vary from 5 to 20 years. There are 3 main types
of swidden system currently in practice: (a) Traditional swidden
rotational system: cultivation cycle is 15-20 years long permitting
adequate recovery in soil fertility depleted due to cropping and rice/
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
181
Table 5. Overview of farming systems in different agroecological
zones of Lao PDR
Farming Characteristics
systems
Livelihood
problems
Lowland
rainfed
farming
system
Single cropping of 2-4 varieties of traditional
Rice shortage; local
glutinous rice. Yield 2.5-3 t/ha (official estimates)
production meets 1-4
to 1.1 t/ha (Lao-IRRI survey 1989-90). Buffalo
month needs, low
and cattle for draught power, cash income and
household income.
occasional meat, free ranging during the dry season,
confined in the rainy season. Pigs, poultry, fish and
NTFPs important for food and cash income
Lowland Double cropping of traditional photoperiod sensitive Better off than
irrigated rice varieties, use of improved varieties, fertilizer,
unirrigated farms, but
farming etc. for the 2nd crop. Wet season crop yields 1-3 t ha-1 ,lack cash, especially
system
and dry season 2-4 t ha-1 of rice. Dry season
for investment.
vegetablesgrown in areas near urban centres. Relatively
few livestock due to shortage of grazing land, buffalo
use for ploughing, small stock for meat and cash income.
Upland
rainfed
farming
system
Shifting cultivation of rice intercropped with cucumber,Rice shortage, low
chilli, taro, sesame) on sloping land with fallow periodsincome, poor health,
of 2-10 years, rice yields of 1.4-1.5 t ha-1 . Maize for high infant mortality,
livestock is 2nd most important crop. Sweet potato,
low life expectancy,
ginger, cassava, groundnut, soybean, cotton and
lack of access to
sugarcane, papaya, coconut, mango, marrind banana roads, communicatand citrus (more fruit tree species at lower altitudes)
ion, education &
also grown. Pigs, cattle and poultry are the principle social services.
livestock. High dependence on NTFPs for income to
purchase rice, etc. Adoption of paddy cultivation is
progressing rapidly.
Highland Similar to upland rainfed farming system, but with
As above.
farming high altitude crops such as opium, sometimes
system
intercropped with lettuce and mustard, and temperate
fruit trees such as plum, peach & local apple.
Plateau Coffee, tea and cardamom have largely replaced
Households have
farming shifting cultivation, supplemented by fruit trees and
adopted a commercial
system
vegetables in home gardens. Poor cash crop quality strategy and have no
and yields due to poor management, use of poor
problems with food
varieties, no fertiliser, lack of shade, weed problems
security, but
and poor harvesting and drying technique. Cattle
household income
important as savings enterprise, pigs & poultry also
still only moderate.
kept.
Source: GOL (1998).
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Bounthang et al
maize are the major crops. (b) Pioneering exploitative system: In
this system practiced in former opium poppy area, the land is cleared,
cropped until severely degraded and then cultivators move to a
completely new forest area for agriculture. (c) Transitional short
fallow rotational system: This system characterised by 4-6 years or
shorter cultivation cycles arises when area available for shifting
cultivation is drastically reduced due to introduction of new land
uses.
Table 6. Villagers’ ranking of income sources
Income Source
NTFPs
Cardamom
Fish
Wildlife
Dammar resin
Bamboo shoots
Rattan canes
Sapan bark
Bong bark
Rattan shoots
Yang oil
Others
Livestock
Rice
Other crops
Labor
Off-farm income
Total
NTFP
Total
55
9.5
7.0
5.8
5.6
3.0
2.6
2.5
2.0
1.8
1.8
13.6
24
9
8
1
2
100
Upland people have been making efforts to reduce traditional
reliance on shifting cultivation. The Hmong ethnic group in particular
seems to be very efficient in respect of adaptation to changing
conditions. Surveys conducted by NAFRI (National Agriculture and
Forestry Research Institute) in Luang Phabang and Oudomsay
Provinces have revealed that Hmong people who were resettled in
this area are moving away from shifting cultivation towards wet paddy
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
183
cultivation on land purchased from other ethnic groups. Transfer of
resources between ethnic groups, however, may have long-term
structural implications. Hmong people are also experimenting with
cash crops, options of improving livestock productivity, reclamation
of Imperata grasslands and accelerated regeneration of fallow land.
Most upland households secure livelihood by involving them
not in one but in a range of occupations. In a village in Nan District
of Luang Phabang, we found that households were engaged in no
fewer than 8 and sometimes as many as 15 distinct activities. By
pursuing a flexible combination of different occupations, upland
people tend to cope with environmental and economic uncertainties.
Instead of waiting for slow-moving government agencies to “give
them their livelihoods,” people are coming up with their own
strategies (Box 1).
Table 7. Villager ranking of most important NTFPs
Rank Product
No. Giving this Rank
Men
Women
1
Bamboo shoots 13
17
2
Fish
13
7
3
Vegetables
11
11
4
Wildlife
7
6
5
Cardamom
6
7
6
Rattan canes
2
6
7
Dammar resin
5
4
8
Frogs
3
5
9
Mushrooms
4
6
10 Yang oil
17
4
Total 10 products
74
74
Other 40 products
26
26
Total 50 products
100
100
Source: Foppes and Ketphanh (1997).
Total %
13
10
9
8
7
6
5
5
4
4
71
29
100
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Bounthang et al
Box 1. Innovation progressing in Lao PDR.
• Intensification of rice cultivation (wherever and whenever
possible)
• Modified systems of shifting cultivation (shortened fallows,
economically improved fallows, biologically enriched
fallows, livestock-fallow rotations, changing cropping
systems in short-rotation fallows,
• Increased livestock production, either through improved
management of grazing resources or more intensive penfeeding or supplemental feeding practices, which may also
involve the cultivation and processing of feed resources
• Fish ponds, cage culture, frog raising and other forms of
aquaculture, as well as improved conservation management
in open capture fisheries based on village self-regulation
• Planting of fruit and other trees of commercial value
• Increased collection and commercialization and sometimes
domestication of NTFPs (e.g. paper mulberry, cardamom,
broomgrass, etc.)
• Planting of a variety of cash crops in response to market
signals (job’s tears, fruits and vegetables, etc.)
• Handicraft and other cottage industries for the tourist and
national markets
Policies for the mountainous areas
The government has developed a strategic vision for
agricultural sector (MAF, 1999). This vision recognizes that Lao
PDR is rich in natural resources and its geographic location is such
that it can benefit from a huge market. The government plans to
address imbalances between flatlands and sloping lands by favoring
integration of marginal sloping land areas into the national economy
while maintaining the pace of market driven growth along the Mekong
river corridor. A national policy to stop all upland rice cultivation
under slash and burn/shifting agriculture is in place and it is
understood that shifting agriculture will be abandoned when people
get better options. Research to develop improved land use systems
and mobilization of an effective extension system are key components
of the government’s strategy for supporting upland farmers during
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
185
the transition period (Box 2).
Box 2. Regional and national agricultural development priorities in
Lao PDR.
Flatland region
• Improving and diversifying farming systems with cash crops, livestock
and fisheries production;
• Expanding and intensifying value added processing enterprises by
promoting local and foreign investments in agribusiness;
• Government and private sector sponsored market research, market
information systems and regional marketing links among producers,
wholesalers and retailers throughout the region;
• Developing internationally accepted product grades and standards;
• Strengthening and expanding rural credit facilities through free
competition and market-determined interest rates;
• Supporting and strengthening rural and agribusiness lending by stateowned commercial banks and private commercial banks; and
• Rehabilitating, expanding and intensifying dry season irrigation schemes
with participatory community based management.
Sloping land region
• Land use zoning;
• Participatory land allocation;
• Community based natural resource management;
• Farming systems diversification;
• Expansion of small-scale irrigation systems;
• Sustainable land use management;
• Rural savings mobilization;
• Competitive rural finance systems;
• Strengthening the legal capacity of state-owned commercial banks; and
• Improving communities’ access to markets.
National priorities
• food production;
• stabilization and reduction of shifting cultivation;
• commercial production;
• infrastructure development;
• improved socio-economic management and foreign economic relations;
• rural development;
• human resources development; and
• services development.
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Bounthang et al
The strategic looks for a demand driven extension system which
means: (a) villagers identify their needs and plan their own
development, (b) the DAFES – District Agriculture and Forestry
Extension Services responds to the village development plan with
supportive inputs, (c) the PAFES – Provincial Agriculture and
Forestry Extension Services coordinate and supports the DAFES,
(d) the NAFES – National Agriculture and Forestry Extension
Services supports the DAFES through PAFES and (e) the NAFRI
provides research support to the NAFES chain. Following the
termination of the World Bank/Finda (please give full name of
FINDA) funded Village Forestry Program; a forest sector policy
review has been prepared (World Bank, 2001). Efforts are being made
for improving forest resources by (a) defining forest management
units and plans, (b) strengthening regulations, (c) improving
integration with market, (d) restructuring state enterprises, (f) ensuring
adequate empowerment of village forestry associations, and (g)
improving village land allocation systems. The national policy calls
for arresting deforestation and managing the existing resources for
production, biodiversity conservation, tourism and watershed
protection in an integrated perspective (Box 2). Survey of rural
poverty conducted by the State Planning Committee and the Asian
Development Bank, has shed considerable light on socio-economic
well being of people (Table 8).
There is enormous scope for intensification in the existing
farming systems. For example, productivity of home gardens can be
raised to a level observed in home gardens of central Java, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh or even Thailand. Swidden systems may be more
sustainable if farmers shiftto a new plobefore
t
serious degradation
of the site occurs, leaving an “economically enriched” fallow
vegetation full of hardy perennials and other standing cultigens that
will be harvested over the duration of the “rest fallow” period. In
some cases the so-called “fallow period” is even more productive
than the so-called “cropping period”. Productivity and sustainability
of rotational swidden systems in Laos can be improved by educating
farmers about better swidden “models” (IIRR, 2001).
The basic principle of NAFRI research approach tried on a
pilot scale in the northern provinces of Luang Phabang and Oudomsay
is to build on the existing farming practices rather than to replace
Primary Causes of
Poverty
Land problems
(insufficiency, poor
quality, low returns to
labor, soil depletion)
Lack of investment
money to pay for rice
while improvements
are being made
Having to hire out labor Livestock disease
Lack of technical
Pests and natural
knowledge and skills disasters
Lack of accessibility
Environmental
(roads)
degradation (overuse,
Insufficient clothing
logging)
Poor housing
Lack of water
for paddies
Source: Anonymous (2000).
Few livestock
Indicators of Poverty Problems Associated
with Poverty
Insufficient rice
Lack of arable land
(paddy & swidden)
Livestock disease
Poor health (can’t
afford medical
treatment)
Women work harder
than men
Table 8. Poverty analysis of Lao PDR population
Increase land availability & resolve rise cultivation issues
Develop paddies that function
Re-do land allocation
Make cash cropping reliable (e.g. price guarantees for
promoted crops)
Provide roads/access to markets
Provide better schools
Improve village medical care (train village medic, provide
medical kit, etc.)
Provide clean water supply
Provide electricity
Increase livestock holdings
Solve livestock disease problems
Provide funding mechanism to increase livestock holdings
Perceived Solutionsto Poverty
Lack of government
assistance
Low prices
Poverty is inherited
from parents
Lack of roads, no access
to market
Ill-health & low labor
capacity
Opium addiction
Income cannot keep pace
with rising costs (inflation)
Population (Houa Phanh)
UXOs
Theft
Secondary Causes of
Poverty
Lack of village
leadership & initiative
Relocation
Insufficient health
services
Too many children
Lack of commercial
skills
Insufficient education
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
187
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Bounthang et al
Box 3. Some salient features of long term management of natural
resources in Lao PDR
• Forest allocation, especially for production forests, has been based on the needs
of wood industries, markets, and the government revenue estimate. There is
lack of appropriate principles of sustainable forest management except in a few
production forest areas like in JFM and Village forestry areas where a certain
amount of effort has been made towards sustainable management. Experienced
forest managers are generally lacking at all levels in every aspect ranging from
management planning, approval of plans, management monitoring and post
harvest management. Quantity of harvest is thus exceeds the regenerative
capacity of forests. Log production has been increasing and concentration has
been quite high in certain parts of the country. However, about 60% of the
annual quota comes from the areas where infrastructure development has taken
place. Harvesting operations have often been sub-contracted to sawmillers and
traders who are only interested in short term profits and not committed to the
long term sustainability of forest resources. These practices have discouraged
long term investors in forestry and will eventually lead to further degradation if
continued. Policy review is needed and principles and practices of sustainable
forest management should be introduced.
• The control system has been generally lax. Existing regulatory frameworks are
fragmented and inadequate and cannot ensure strict enforcement. Devolution
of authority has been put in place by the government. However, under the present
situation where there still exists a big gap in capacity and manpower, very little
progress is observed, even with reallocation of forestry staff in order to reinforce
manpower at the district level. Harmonisation of regulations at the
implementation levels (lower levels) is needed to improve the situation.
• It must be acknowledged that although shifting cultivators depend on forests
for soil fertility, unsustainable forms of shifting cultivation are a major cause of
deforestation in the uplands. Stabilization of shifting cultivation has received
priority attention within the national socioeconomic development program. An
integrated approach to natural resource management with supportive programs
to provide shifting cultivators with better options in land use and better farming
and cropping systems and practices is proposed. Agroforestry research is one
of the priority initiatives of “The Government’s Strategic Vision for the
Agricultural Sector”, and is also seen as one of the main tools for achieving
sustainable agriculture in the uplands. However, the biophysical and
socioeconomic constraints and opportunities for agroforestry development in
different upland farming systems are currently not well understood and the
skills and experiences in participatory research with farmers to develop
acceptable agroforestry systems are still lacking among existing staff. It is
proposed in this program to test the promising agroforestry systems, conduct
more specific studies within their components and develop appropriate
technologies that are optimized to local conditions. Supportive studies on
livelihood systems and for market development will also be an important
consideration (NAFRI, 2000).
Source: NAFRI. (2001).
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
189
Table 9. On-farm trial topics selected by farmers in Phonsay and
Namo districts
Theames
System
On-farm research trial
topics
Phonsay District
Water management
Riverbed garden
Cabagge – varieties
Cabbage – early seedbed
Wet season tomato – botanical
pesticides
Fish/frogs in ponds Integrated fish ponds – fish species
Fingerling production – fish species
From raising – feed
Fish in river
Cage fish – fish species
Household
Micro-hydropower – improvements
electricity
Crop & crop-livestock Lowland rice
Lowland rice yield trial
integration
Crop-livestock
Animal feed – large livestock
Animal feed – small livestock
Agricultural processing tools –
animal feed
Tree & tree-crop
Fruit
Test fruit tree species & varieties
integration
Agroforestry
Sloping land agroforestry
technologies
Trees
Improved teak management –
thinning
Namo District
Water management
Irrigated lowland
rice
Fish in ponds
Crop & crop-livestock Crop—livestock
integration
NTFP & tree crop
integration
Agroforestry
NTFPs
Source: NAFRI (2002).
Lowland rice yield trial
Integrated ponds – fish species
Animal feed – large livestock
Animal feed – small livestock
Agricultural processing tools –
animal feed
Sloping land agroforestry
technologies
Study & test improved oven for
NTFP drying
Test cardamom varieties
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Bounthang et al
Box 4. Over harvesting and decline of NTFPs in southern Laos
Forest dwelling communities can make a good estimate of declines in off-takes
of NTFPs as illustrated below. Exposure to examples of management practices
from other areas in Lao PDR or from other countries assisted the community in
developing its own set of use rules. The village of Ban Nong Hin, Champasak,
developed management systems that vary from rotational harvesting rattans to
prohibited fishing seasons or total hunting bans for certain species of wildlife
(Kritcharoen, forthcoming). Changes in off-takes per effort units for 3 key
NTFP’s over the last 10 years (1989-1999), As seen by villagers of Ban Nong
Hin, Champasak, 17/2/99; NTFP name, 10 years ago, and today.
Wildlife
Plenty of wildlife: turtles, monitor lizards, deer, snakes, jungle fowl, other birds.
You could easily hunt them in your backyard. There was no outside market, no
selling. Only our village hunted (9 families only). Many species disappeared:
turtle, deer, jungle fowl, birds. You can walk for 48 hours and still not get
anything. Market demand is big, prices are getting higher (1 mouse-deer costs
12,000 kip). Many outsiders come to hunt in our forest. Village has 57 families
now.
Fish
You could catch 4-5 kg within 1 hour. There were only 9 families. No selling,
no destructive methods used, only traps and nets. You can not even get 0.5 kg
in 1 hour. There is not enough to feed all our 57 families. Strong outside market
(2,500 kip/kg). Destructive methods used by outsiders: explosives, guns, poison.
Decline: 90%
Rattan
In 1 day, you could get 300 stems, or as many as a man can carry. We used to
also have big diameter rattan, now only small diameter species. You can only
get 20-30 stems in a day. Harvesting has intensified over the last 2 years. 1
stem sells for 200 kip. We know there is no quota but we need to sell anyhow.
Decline: 90%.
The reality of multiple user groups competing for the use of the same forest
remains a challenge. Villagers of Ban Nong Hin could easily enumerate seven
other user groups involved in (illegal) hunting and fishing in their forest blocks:
(1) high ranking Government officials from the Provincial capital, (2) District
officers, (3) soldiers of the District army camp, (4) soldiers of the army camp in
the next village, (5) (6) and (7) the surrounding village communities.
The NTFP Project then organized a meeting with all these stakeholders.
Participants discussed the declines in forest products, reasons for destructive
harvesting, alternative sustainable management systems, new rules and
sanctions, the roles of all forest users, etc. At the end of the workshop, all
participants agreed to adopt the proposed rules, giving village committees the
right to use agreed sanctions against trespassers. This model is now replicated
in the surrounding villages.
Source: Foppes and Dechaineux. (2000).
Upland agriculture in Lao PDR
191
them by altogether new ones. An inventory of existing practices (Box
3) provides a basis of setting research priorities. Table 9 illustrates
the outcome of a diagnostic survey and research planning exercise in
Phonsay District, Luang Phabang and Namo District, Oudomsay.
There is considerable potential for NTFPs and village forestry for
improving the livelihood of upland communities together with
watershed protection (Box 4).
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