regional wood energy development programme in asia ... - CES (IISc)

Woodfuel gatherers need some equipment as otherwise the work becomes impracticable
due to the weight and the distances over which woodfuels have to be transported from the resource
area to the woodfuel depots. The investments to be made by woodfuel gatherers is normally not
very high. Of all the items required, the largest investment to be made is in a pair of bullocks and
a cart which could cost up to 25,000 kyats. However, the bullock cart can also be used for other
purposes and can be resold if required. The equipment required and the costs involved, which vary
from area to area, are shown in table 4.3.
Table 4.3 Equipments and tools required and costs involved for woodfuel gathering
(kyats)
Equipment required
Bullock
Bullock cart
Two-men hand saw
Chain (12 ft)
Axe
Machete
File
Yebokson/Yinmabin Thahtaygon/Hlaingdet
Amount Price Total Amount Price Total
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
10,000
5,000
500
1,500
70
70
150
16
20,000
5,000
500
1,500
140
70
150
2
1
-
-
-
2
-
10,000
4,000
-
-
-
70
-
20,000
4,000
-
-
-
140
-
Total 9 - 27,360 5 - 24,140
4.2.2 Woodfuel Traders
Out of the almost 700 people regularly involved with the woodfuel trade, 51 are listed as
traders. Nearly half of them are engaged in the trade of bamboo fuels as it is a more lucrative
business when compared to fuelwood or charcoal. Traders prefer bamboo fuel for several reasons:
a) bamboo fuel does not require an extraction permit in advance as is the case for fuelwood and
charcoal, b) extraction levies only have to be paid to the Forest Department after the amount has
been checked at the control station in Thazi and c) the recruitment of workers is easy as even
youngsters can be employed in cutting and transporting the culms.
Because there is a regular demand for bamboo fuel, all a trader needs is labour and a
guaranteed supply of bamboo. One trader in Yinmabin has, with the authority's consent, made his
own motorable road in the Yinmabin Reserve and now monopolizes the collection of bamboo fuel
from the area.
Most of the bamboo fuel traders are, in general, financially better-off than the average
villager or trader engaged in other businesses. For instance, in Hlaingdet there are 13 bamboo fuel
traders. Half of them own trucks to transport the bamboo with some of them having been engaged
in the trade for nearly 20 years. However, even though there is a regular demand, it appears that
the profit margin is now lower than during the last 10 years. At present a bamboo fuel trader sells
on average 10-15 truck loads per month on which he makes a profit of about 250-300 kyats per
truck load. If the trader owns the truck he may make additional income from passengers joining
along the way.