Gathering Non-timber forest products in Market Economy: A case study of Sahakone Dan Xang Fresh Food Market I

Abstract

The research found that all of villager gathered NTFPs. They use simple tools for collecting NTFPs. There are 27 species of wild vegetables, 23 species of insects, and 10 species of wildlife villager is reported to collect. Species of wildlife is rapidly changing while the type of wild vegetables and insects are mostly still the same. However, the abundance has changed dramatically, particularly of a wild vegetable Phak Van. Many species of NTFPs from many places are found in the market, some coming from other districts. There are 32 species of wild vegetables coming from 17 places, 21 species of insects from 23 places, and 4 wildlife species from 10 places. The majority of NTFPs delivered to Sahakone Dan Xang market is Xaithany district particularly Dong Makkhai which supplies several kinds of NTFPs to the Sahakone Dan Xang market. The best selling in the market are ant egg, grasshopper, cricket, honeycomb among others. NTFPs market demand for wildlife is most times larger than other supply. Local people they have a keen interest in sustaining sources of NTFPs. They have an idea to practice conservation through forest conservation, with holding NTFPs in the full moon and moonless days, tree planting, avoiding trade of rare species, stop poaching, reduced NTFPs gathering. However, in present days local people expand and intensify their NTFPs gathering to meet the market demand growing.