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.)

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.