The Bamboo and Rattan Sectors in Asia: an Analysis of ... - INBAR

Constraints and opportunities
There is growing demand for Laotian rattan products in the domestic and
international markets, especially in Vietnam. More rattan furniture factories are coming
on stream, and those that are established are getting better and are looking for outlets
for their product. There are no estimates of the amount of rattan that is available or
of the productivity of natural rattan in the country. Thus, there is some danger of
early commercial overexploitation, assuaged somewhat by the fact that access to the
forested areas is relatively poor. Although it is currently a relatively small sector,
rattan collection provides a critically important source of cash and food for many
rattan collectors. Rattan processing provides jobs, income and some badly needed
foreign exchange earnings. It is especially important for forest-margin people who
have very limited alternatives.
Clearly, there is a need for basic inventory data to determine how much rattan
is available and to estimate sustainable harvest levels. If it is true that the resource
is being harvested unsustainably, there is a need for changes in the management
strategy.
There may be scope for increasing rattan production in the forest through
enrichment planting with either local or exotic species. It would be especially useful
to plant clustering, large-diameter species that lend themselves to multiple harvests.
Current research on understanding the taxonomy of the resource base will facilitate
such decisions.
However, technical interventions are unlikely to be very successful without
reform in the resource ownership. Under the current system the rattan resource
is owned by the state and sold on a concession basis to furniture manufacturers.
The short tenure (1 year) discourages any effort to replant or encourage re-growth.
More importantly, the rattan cutters are engaged only as hired labor. The resource
is treated as an open access resource. They have neither incentive nor expertise
to manage the resource sustainably. The only limit on accelerated exploitation of
the resource is that access to the rattan areas is limited and there is limited
number of buyers.
An alternative system giving resource control, along with some technical
assistance (training in enrichment planting and management techniques; improved
planting material; post-harvest preservation technology) to the cutters could encourage
increased productivity and provide a valuable avenue for improving the welfare of
this disadvantaged group. The new Forest Law (1996) is progressive in terms of
encouraging community forest management.
Technical improvements along with improved marketing in the processing
industry could increase the value of the finished products. This could in turn
stimulate increased raw material prices, and increased incentives for sustainable
management.
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