NTFPs on Nakai Plate.. - TABI

10- We found that villagers are able to identify forest blocks and main products collected per
block. Villagers group estimates of yield potential for all blocks were too variable to be
useful. However the delineation of forest use blocks seems to have a great potential for future
participatory forest management.
Table B:
Estimated income from NTFP’s in 5 villages on the Nakai plateau.
Product 7 x f Total Value 5 villages Av. Value per household
(values in kip) 1996 1997 1996 1997
kisi 0U-u du[ 4,684,367 13,079,661 23,658 66,059
rattan shoots [6jo}lko 326,606 5,071,125 1,650 25,612
cardamom \kdc|' du[ 2,196,294 1,834,933 11,092 9,267
bong [q' 3,919,132 1,632,600 19,794 8,245
wildlife lafxjk 77,857 1,024,800 393 5,176
others* 1,991,014 721,333 10,056 3,643
rattan canes s;kpm6o 3,224,000 55,175 16,283 279
TOTAL ]kpIa[ma's,qf 16,419,271 23,419,628 82,926 118,281
*) others include various fish species sold, eaglewood (Aquilaria crassna), and wild cinnamom, “chouang” bark
(Cinnamom sp.)
11- The harvesting of all wildlife, rattan canes (Calamus sp.), eaglewood (Aquilaria crassna)
and ‘hak tin houng’ (Helminthostachys zeylanica) are particularly destructive and should be
terminated. Harvesting of kisi resin is mainly threatened by logging of the commercially
interesting wood of Parashorea spp. This logging should be limited. Harvesting of bong bark
has been very intensive lately, but this tree can coppice from roots and should survive.
C: Recommendations
1 Domestication trials should be set up to investigate the potential for cultivation of
cardamom Amomum spp.), bong bark (Notaphoebe umbelliflora), ‘kheua hem’ vines
(Coscinium usitatum), paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), mak khene (Zanthoxylum
rhetsa) bamboos (various spp.) and rattans (Calamus spp.).
2 Feasibility studies should be done on the potential for developing village based processing
industries for production of (i) incense sticks from bong bark, (iii) berberine powder from
kheua hem vines, (iii) furniture from rattan canes, (iv) production of wallmats from bamboo.
Additional marketing studies on kisi resin and cardamom are also recommended.
3 Increasing participation of villagers in decision making in the future resettlement process
should be pursued through use of RRA techniques and land use planning based on villager’s
own forest blocks and boundary definitions.
4 Poor families, i.e. families with structural rice deficits, need special assistance from the
resettlement authorities. Wealth ranking should be used by the resettlement authorities to
identify needy families and proper assistance should be given to them immediately.
5 Immediate conservation measures that should be taken by the district and provincial
authorities are (i) a ban on trade in hunted animals with clear sanctions, (ii) a ban on logging
of ‘mai si’ wood (Parashorea dussaudi).