NTFPs on Nakai Plate.. - TABI

6 Potential use of NTFP’s in the proposed resettlement area
In this chapter we try to asses the relative sustainability of present harvesting of NTFP’s by
looking at three main characteristics of the main species. Firstly, we gauge the effect of
harvesting on the regeneration/survival of the species (ecological sustainability). Secondly
we look at the trends in prices and quantities collected (economical or market sustainability).
Thirdly, we look at the potential for domesticating the species, especially on the sandy soils
of the proposed resettlement area.
kisi: the damar resin exudes naturally from the tree, falls off the tree and is collected from the
forest floor. This type of harvesting does not harm the producing tree and is very sustainable,
provided trees are not cut down. The main threat to kisi production is logging of trees of mai
si, which has a good quality wood. Many trees are taken out of the reservoir area right now.
Logging of these trees above the future water level should be avoided.
The current price of kisi is 150 kip/kg, which is rather low. The demand for kisi resin seems
stable, the price has not changed much over the past three years. An average full grown tree
(height over 40 m.) produces 3-5 kg per year. It is not difficult to plant “si” trees, but
villagers will not likely be motivated to do so as it take 50-100 years for a tree to mature and
the trees do not have individual ownership.
bong bark: Production has gone down sharply over the last year, because villagers have cut
all the harvestable trees already. Normally trees regrow from coppice after harvesting, but
high harvesting pressure may have killed quite a lot of stumps. This tree is easy to plant and
can be harvested after 3-4 years. So we can say that although present harvesting is not
sustainable, the prospects for sustainable harvesting are good. The prices are rather low: 60-
100 kip/kg. An average tree produces 0.5 to 1 kg of bark. The bong bark is exported as raw
material for making incense, mainly joss sticks. There is a good potential for introducing joss
stick manufacturing to the villages, combined with a plantation effort.
cardamom: Cardamom is harvested by picking the fruits from the plants. If the fruits are cut
carefully with a knife instead of pulling most of the plant from the soil, harvesting is
sustainable. The main problem now is the low densities in natural stands. This plant is easy to
grow under the right conditions: good deep soils, under trees, abundant rainfall. The price for
raw cardamom on the Nakai plateau is now 3,000 kip/kg. The price of cardamom has risen
very spectacularly over the last three years in Laos. In Champasak Province, cardamom went
up from 1,200 in 1994 to 8,000 kip in 1997. It is now the second most important export
product there, after coffee. In Champasak and Salavane Province, many farmers have planted
cardamom in forest gardens, which produce about 300 kg/ha/year. In one village where we
did a survey in October last year, on average each of the 200 households had an income from
cardamom of more than 1,000,000 kip.
On the Nakai plateau, many of the present stands of cardamom are found at low elevations in
or near the future inundation zone, and may disappear after flooding. However the potential
for cultivation should be studied as the market prospects are so good. The main problem to be
overcome will be to find sufficient water to provide the crop with an all year moist soil. This
may prove to be difficult on the traditionally dry, sandy soils of the proposed resettlement
area.