Teak (Tectona grandis), fruit trees and other perennials used by hill farmers of northern Laos.
Roder W., Keoboualapha B., Manivanh V.
Author Affiliation: Lao-IRRI Project, P.O. Box 600, Luang Prabang, Lao.
Agroforestry Systems 29 : 47-60
Abstract : Surveys and investigations on crops grown, the importance of forest products in the rural economy, teak (Tectona grandis) growing, and the importance of upland rice in teak management were carried out in Luang Prabang Province, northern Lao, in 1992-93, as part of the Lao-IRRI project. Hilly topography and inaccessible markets leave limited alternatives for upland farmers who grow rice in slash-and-burn systems. They plant banana, mango, papaya, coconut and other perennials and collect forest products, specially bamboo shoots, banana inflorescences, rattans, cardamom, and benzoin (a resin produced by Styrax sp.) for home consumption and marketing. Teak is the most important perennial planted on upland fields but farmers having teak are more likely to belong to the lowland ethnic groups and own lowland rice fields. Farmers preferred teak over fruit trees and coffee because of the better market potential and major reasons for planting teak were considered to be cash income or wood for construction (by 82% of farmers) and the securing of land tenure (by 18% of farmers). Insufficient financial resources, non-availability of land, lack of seedlings, lack of labour and lack of experience were regarded as the main reasons for not planting teak by 41, 39, 35, 28 and 13% of non-teak growers, respectively. Plantations were often interplanted with rice for the first 1-3 years. Resource-poor families generally cannot risk the long-term investments and credit or modified systems combining food, livestock, and timber production that are necessary to allow them to take part in the potentially lucrative teak production.