Na Hang Nature Reserve, Tat Ke Sector - Frontier-publications.co.uk

Na Hang Nature Reserve, Tat Ke Sector 1997
12.3.1.3 LUNG PANG CAMP; a Tay minority hamlet
Lung Pang is a permanent camp situated in a valley at an elevation of approximately
800m asl.
The camp consists of three households which moved to the site from Khau Tinh
village in 1990, where their families are still based. The move was precipitated by a
lack of agricultural land on which to crop maize.
The houses are typical Tay minority style, and are manned all year round by the third
generation of each family. Other family members stay at the camp during busy periods
of the agricultural year and also visit to bring supplies. None of the houses have
H.E.P., but use kerosene instead.
12.3.1.4 KHUOI BOC; a Hmong minority village
The Hmong village of Khuoi Boc is situated on the hillside at an elevation of 800-
900m asl. No families could be interviewed.
The village moved here in 1992 from Ba Be, Cao Bang Province. Authority to
relocate the village from Na Hang has been given by the Tuyen Quang Province,
although the date of the move depends on when the District Rangers Office can
finance the project. Twelve families (population 78) with an average family size of 6.5
members live in the village.
The houses are similar in style to those of the Dao; and only some have H.E.P.
12.3.2 Economic activity
Levels of poverty are much higher among the mountain minority people than among
the Kinh ethnic group (Van Cong, Nhan Dan Newspaper, 30/1/92). The majority of
the population rely on advanced subsistence farming based on semi-intensive paddy
rice production using draft for ploughing, fertilisers and pesticides. This is
supplemented by maize, cassava, cotton production grown on slopes surrounding the
villages and sugar cane, fruit trees and taro grown in gardens. Official statistics (Kiem
Lam, unpublished data) state that there are 169 ha of cleared land, of which 76 ha is
used to crop rice and 21 ha is used for other crops.
Livestock are kept in a traditional way. The primary function is to provide draft power
and manure for crop cultivation as low quality feed supplies restrict animal weights
and therefore, the potential for meat. Grazing on common scrubland occurs and the
animals are generally fed crop residues.
Fish are also cultivated by some families with small ponds in their gardens.
Frontier-Vietnam Environment Research Report 9 46