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VOLUME 18 – 4
CONTENTS
Editorial 319
Jeremy Cheesman, Jeff Bennett 321
Farm size, irrigation infrastructure and the efficiency of coffee production in Viet Nam revisited
Terry C.H. Sunderland, Michael P.B. Balinga, Stella Asaha and
Ruth Malleson 345
The utilization and management of African rattans:
constraints to sustainable supply through cultivation
E. Kan, John P.A. Lamers, R. Eshchanov and A. Khamzina 363
Small-scale farmers’ perceptions and knowledge of tree
intercropping systems in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan
John P.A. Lamers, Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Asia Khamzina
and Jennifer Franz 381
Financial analysis of small-scale forests in the Amu Darya
Lowlands of rural Uzbekistan
RESEARCH PAPER
Ramesh Kumar Jha and D.K. Das 395
Biomass and bioenergy from Bambusa bambos (L) Voss, Besch.
Plantation of Bihar, India
Nur Muhammed, Furhana Haque and Masao Koike 403
The role of participatory social forestry in the enhancement
Of the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor: a case study
Of Dhaka Forest division in Bangladesh (NB This paper was published here in error as a Research Paper and was then repeated in the next number correctly.(Editors Note This article was included in this number as a Research paper in error, and has been reproduced in voluje 19 - 1)
Book Review
World Bank 427
Forest Source Book:Practical guidance for Sustaining
Forest Development Cooperation
ABSTRACTS
Farm size, irrigation infrastructure and the efficiency of coffee production in Viet Nam revisited
This article revisits the relationships between smallholding size, irrigation infrastructure, and the productive efficiency of coffee smallholders in Dak Lak, Viet Nam, previously examined in Forests,Trees and Livelihoods by Rios and Shivley (2006) (RS). The conjecture in RS that technical inefficiency on small coffee smallholdings in Dak Lak is correlated with decreasing returns to scale
from irrigation infrastructure is first examined. A two-stage econometric analysis suggests that the observed technical inefficiency in RS more likely resulted from irrigation water constraints caused by severe drought in the year that RS surveyed than scale diseconomies in irrigation infrastructure.
Stochastic production frontier analysis is subsequently used to test whether the technical inefficiency estimated by RS persists during a normal rainfall year, and when coffee smallholder technical inefficiency is evaluated against a more encompassing production frontier that controls for plot specific irrigation technology, irrigation scheduling, and plot and local agro-environmental production conditions. Results show coffee smallholders are technically efficient when compared to this more encompassing production frontier. Results show that irrigation scheduling aptitude and local agroenvironmental
production conditions are key productivity determinants on coffee smallholdings in Dak Lak, and impart important policy information for strengthening the smallholder coffee sector in Dak Lak and for managing regional water resources.
Terry C.H. Sunderland, Michael P.B. Balinga, Stella Asaha and
Ruth Malleson
The utilization and management of African rattans:
constraints to sustainable supply through cultivation
The thriving commercial trade in rattan and rattan products is worth an estimated US$10 million per annum in Central Africa alone. Although the harvest and use of rattan products provides income and employment to many people reliant on forest products, their uncontrolled exploitation, coupled
with habitat loss, has led to considerable resource depletion. Recent attempts to improve rattan sustainability in West and Central Africa have focused on farmer-based trials aimed at product intensification through on-farm cultivation. Our findings show that although the cultivation of these
resources has proven economic and ecological potential, particularly in multi-strata agroforestry systems, farmer adoptability has, up until now, proven to be low due to the influence of a wide range of socio-economic factors, notably land and resource tenure issues and the reluctance of farmers to try new, untested, crops. While the rattan resource continues to be a valuable source of
income for rural livelihoods, with continued exploitation the long-term prospects for sustainable harvest of the resource itself remain uncertain
E. Kan, John P.A. Lamers, R. Eshchanov and A. Khamzina
Small-scale farmers’ perceptions and knowledge of tree
intercropping systems in the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan
Despite compelling evidence supporting the contribution of tree intercropping systems (TIS) to farmers’ livelihoods, little research has addressed farmers’ knowledge of TIS in the ecologically deteriorated zones of Uzbekistan, Central Asia. Similarly, farmers’ understanding of the motivation for practicing TIS is poorly known. A survey conducted with 133 households during 2003–2005
showed that the surveyed farmers managed 17 different tree-crop simultaneous systems with 97% of all sites including fruit species. The annual components were commercially the more important and were given the highest priority – with cereals (47%), vegetables (27%), fodder (19%) and cash crops (7%). Irrespective of tree species and plantation age, the most frequently observed tree density was 200–500 trees ha–1, although subject to large variations.
The dominance of younger trees <10 years (41%) was evidence of the recent interest in TIS and was obviously linked to recent land reforms and change in land ownership. The knowledge of TIS management among those surveyed was rather superficial. Training and educating of farmers and gardeners would help to achieve the potential benefits of TIS. The interaction between agroforestry,
environmental research and farmers’ practices must be improved given the growing interest and significance of TIS for the rural population, and the government must increase private landowners’ participation in farm management and decision-making.
John P.A. Lamers, Ihtiyor Bobojonov, Asia Khamzina
and Jennifer Franz
Financial analysis of small-scale forests in the Amu Darya
Lowlands of rural Uzbekistan
The establishment of forests on small-scale marginal lands in the Amu Darya Lowlands in Uzbekistan is an alternative use of land abandoned from cropping. Over four consecutive years biomass data were collected from Elaeagnus angustifolia, Ulmus pumila, and Populus euphratica plantings and complemented with data of mature trees (15-20 years) growing naturally on marginal land. These formed the basis for elaborating 20-year growth functions for these species. The potential for capital investment in the small-scale forests was assessed by considering annual fuelwood, fodder and fruit production, plus the stumpage value after 20 years. The benefit to cost ratio (BCR) and Net Present Value (NPV) were compared at 10%, 16% and 24% discount rates. At a 16% discount rate (base case), the NPV for E. angustifolia was greatest (13,924 US$ ha-1) , followed by P. euphratica (4,096 US$ ha-1), and U. pumila (1,717 US$ ha-1) showing a BCR of 7.8, 2.2 and 1.8, respectively. These suggest that afforestation is a promising alternative form of land use.
RESEARCH PAPER
Ramesh Kumar Jha and D.K. Das
Biomass and bioenergy from Bambusa bambos (L) Voss, Besch.
Plantation of Bihar, India
Biomass accumulation and stored energy content of Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss were assessed for different age classes at Pusa on the northwest alluvial plain of Bihar. The energy fixed by bamboo was:
• 3.28 TJ ha–1 in a 3-year-old plantation,
• 3.97 TJ ha–1 in a 4-year-old plantation, and
• 4.96 TJ ha–1 in a 5-year-old plantation.
The energy capture efficiencies (photosynthetic radiation) for the above ground and culms for the same three age classes were:
• 4.01% & 3.64%,
• 3.61% & 3.31%
• 3.23% & 3.30%.
The contributions in the form of bioenergy for the same three age classes from:-
• culms was 63.8%, 64.33% & 64.64%,
• branches 21.9, 21.71 & 21.54,
• foliage 4.8, 4.5 & 4.3,
• rhizomes 8.6, 8.75 & 8.75 and
• roots 0.67, 0.68 & 0.66.
Using a 3 year felling cycle and culm selection silvicultural system, approximately 6,000 hectare would be required; or on a 4 year cycle 5,000 hectares, or on a 5 year cycle over 4,000 hectares to provide fuel to operate a 50 MW generating station. Gregarious clump flowering followed by the death of the clumps is to be expected after 40–45 years.
Nur Muhammed, Furhana Haque and Masao Koike
The role of participatory social forestry in the enhancement
Of the socio-economic conditions of the rural poor: a case study
Of Dhaka Forest division in Bangladesh
The people of Bangladesh, a densely populated country, depend heavily on forests for fuel wood, timber and other subsistence. Due to huge biotic and abiotic pressure, forest resources of the country have been depleted greatly. Participatory social forestry was introduced in Bangladesh in early 1980s to reduce the rampant rate of deforestation. Few studies are available on social forestry in Bangladesh. This research was done in degraded Sal (Shorea robusta) forests under the Dhaka Forest Division. Due to its location in the central part of the country, this forest is subjected to tremendous illicit cutting and land encroachment. It was focused on the role of participatory social forestry in the enhancement of the socio – economic condition of the poor. All three types of plantation (viz. woodlots, agroforestry plantings and strip
plantations) raised under social forestry were financially profitable. Net Present Values to the poor (NPV) were highest in the strip plantations (US$ 7,857) followed by woodlot plantations (US$ 4,350) and lowest in agroforestry plantings (US$ 4,222). On an average, each participant received,
US$ 3,338, US$ 3,092 and US$ 1,786 from the, woodlot plantations, agroforestry plantings and strip plantations respectively. This additional forest based income was a significant contribution to improve socio-economic conditions of the poor. It is found that individuals recognized as encroachers in the past, have now become vital stakeholders of forests and recognized member
in community. Negative findings of the programmes are that after 25 years of social forestry practice in Bangladesh, poor people still remain skeptical towards the programme due to various administrative blocks and shortcomings and a lack of policy instruments such as the granting of usufruct rights that affect the sustainability of the programme. Nevertheless compared with the
failures of traditional forest management, participatory social forestry is a far better option. Keywords: social forestry, Sal forests, financial return.