9 - NSF Digital Library

V. G. Momongan
of people sharing a b&alo is in Lao PDR, Cambodia and Thailand with
about 4, 12 and 14 peoplehuffalo, respectively. Although the buffalo
population in Indonesia had increased by 42.8% in 1994 and ranks
second in SE Asia, yet the number of people sharing per buffalo
(55.4huffalo) is even greater than that in Brunei (28huffalo). Malaysia
had the greatest number of people per buffalo, at 106 personslb&alo.
Table 1. World, Asian and Southeast Asian human and buffalo
populations.
Geographical 1994 Popln. No. of % Change in
locations (x 1,000) people per buffalo popln.
buffalo 1994 over '79-'8 1
Human Buffalo
World 5,630,240
Asia 3,333,188
SE Asia 474,978
Brunei 280
Cambodia 9,868
Indonesia 194,6 15
Lao PDR 4,742
Malaysia 19,695
Myanmar 45,555
Philippines 66,188
Singapore 2,821
Thailand 58,183
Vietnam 72,93 1 3,009 24.2 +30.20
Adapted from: 1994 Production Yearbook (FAO, 1995)
BUFFALO PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
In general, buffalo raising in SE Asian countries is not
considered a distinct enterprise, but has always been an integral part of
the crop production system in smallholder farms. Buffaloes provide
&au&t power and manure for maintaining soil fertility and utilize crop