Dipterocarp oleoresin in Vietnam and Cambodia: harvesting techniques, resource management and livelihood issues: A report from an exchange visit to Cambodia
by Hong-Truong Luu Center for Biodiversity and Development (CBD) Femy Pinto NTFP-Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia
May 2007
CBD
CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY AND DEVELOPMENT
Dipterocarp oleoresin in Vietnam and Cambodia: harvesting techniques, resource management and livelihood issues: A report from an exchange visit to Cambodia
submitted to: NTFP-Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia WWF Greater Mekong Cambodia Country Programme Oxfam GB Cambodia
Acknowledgements This report reflects the authors’ notes from the Discussion on Sustainable Liquid Resin Resource Management: sharing of techniques, lessons learned and good practices from Cambodia and Vietnam held in Phnom Penh on May 8, 2007, and the Field Visit and Community Exchange on Liquid Resin Resource Management in Preah Vihear, Cambodia on May 10, 2007. The events were organized by the Cambodia NTFP Working Group, an informal network of local and international NGOs committed to give practical responses to a growing interest in NTFP livelihood development and policy support in Cambodia. The visit of the first author is financially supported by NTFP-Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia, WWF Greater Mekong Cambodia Country Programme and Oxfam Great Britain in Cambodia, for whom this report is written. We are grateful for their support.
Center for Biodiversity and Development (CBD)
NTFP-Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia
Address: 85 Tran Quoc Toan, District 3
Address: 92-A Masikap Ext., Bgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel/Fax: +84-8-9320355.
Tel/Fax: +63 2 426 2757 Website: http://www.ntfp.org http://www.ntfp.org
Community exchange on resin management held on May 10, 2007 in Preah Vihear, Cambodia (Pinto, NTFP-EP)
1. Dipterocarps and oleoresin Dipterocarps are not only keystone species in the forests of Southeast Asia (Fig.1) but also a major source of resin – a non-timber forest product. The resin from dipterocarps may be classified into two groups: oleoresin (liquid resin or wood oil) or chor teuk in Khmer local language, and solid resin. The oleoresin, which is collected from
Fig. 1/ Dipterocarp forests in Preah Vihear, Cambodia and southern Vietnam (Luu, CBD)
Dipterocarpus species (Fig, 2) has been used more widely than the solid resin, which is collected from Hopea, Shorea and Vatica.
4/13
Fig. 2/ Dipterocarp in Mondulkiri, northeastern Cambodia (Khou, WWF)
â–˛Fig. 4/ Dipterocarpus intricatus (Khou, WWF) â—„Fig. 3/ Dipterocarpus alatus (Khou, WWF)
Dipterocarpus alatus (Fig. 3) is the main source of the oleoresin in Indochina. The oleoresin from the species is known to have been used to produce a secret glue to bond bricks in the famous Cham temples in Central Vietnam. Other Dipterocarpus species important for the oleoresin production in Indochina are D. intricatus (Fig. 4) , D. dyeri, D. turbinatus, D. costatus and D. cf. condorensis. The liquid and/or solid resins from other dipterocarps may be mixed to be used in producing a torch, caulking boats (Fig. 5), traditional medicine, or for manufacturing paints and varnish.
5/13
Fig. 5/ Currently, the demand in Vietnam for oleoresin is from the domestic fisheries industry for caulking new fishing boats and recaulking every year. Oleoresin is also sold as raw material for manufacturing paints and varnish (Luu, CBD).
2. Livelihood importance and issues Oleoresin is an important income source for many forest communities in Vietnam and Cambodia particularly in periods of rice shortages, which could last up to 6 months in any given year. Resin studies in Northeastern Cambodia showed that the village population of resin tappers in Ratanikiri and Mondulkiri provinces range from 34% to 86%, with family ownership of trees ranging from 35 to 260 resin trees per family (Evans et al, 2003; McKenney et al, 2004; Baird, 2005, Khou et al, 2007). Current policy options in Vietnam and Cambodia do not fully enable forest-reliant communities to gain adequate benefits from resin tapping and trade. In Vietnam, most natural dipterocarp forests, which are the prime sources of oleoresin, are located in protected areas where resin tapping is strictly prohibited. However, despite the prohibition, resin tapping seems to continue with few incentives for forest protection. In Cambodia, besides the subsistence and customary use of NTFP, community forest and protected area policies and guidelines are not explicit about the commercial use of NTFPs by primary collectors for value-added livelihoods. Sustainable resource management plans are still underdeveloped in community forests and community protected areas today. In addition there is a dearth of data to track the volume, price and profit margins of resin trade within and between countries like Cambodia and Vietnam.
6/13
3. Harvesting techniques and issues Traditionally, tapping is the main practice to harvest the oleoresin from dipterocarps in Indochina. A side of a woody trunk or at least 45 cm. in diameter at breast height is chopped to make a backwards-sloping hole from 0.4 to 1.0 above the ground using an axe (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6/ Collection holes are made by resin tappers at variable heights above ground from 20 to 130 cm and the mean height of the liquid resin holes is 69 cm above the ground. The holes of the liquid resin trees are chopped on the ridge of vertical roots because it produces more liquid resin. (Luu, CBD & Khou, WWF))
Several days later, the tapper comes to harvest, for the first time, the oleoresin exudated from the woody vascula and stored in the hole. Then, the oleoresin remaining in the hole is used as fuel to burn the domic surface of the hole for 2-3 minutes to stimulate the exudation of the oleoresin (Fig. 7). The second harvest of oleoresin occurs one week later. Then the burning is practiced again. This harvest is carried out in one to two weeks and burning is practiced.
Fig. 9/ After chopping, the hole is burned for around 2 minutes and left for up to 6 days for exudation. Liquid resin is regularly collected in 6 days after burning the hole. (Luu, CBD & Khou, WWF)
7/13
Harvesting and burning may be considered as a tapping cycle which lasts for 1 to 2 weeks and is repeated until the resin is exhausted. After two or three cycles, the domic surface of the hole may be slightly chopped in order to clear away the charcoal produced by burning that prevents the oleoresin from flowing (Fig. 8).
Fig. 8/ Charcoal formation in tree hole (Pinto, NTFP-EP)
Local tappers in Cambodia make sure to remove dried leaves, twigs and other ignitable debris found under or within close proximity of the trees to avoid causing forest fires. Local tappers attest to very few to no incidents of forest fires in their forests caused by burning for resin tapping. Proper care is also observed to avoid excessive production of charcoal that results in low resin yield. Trees that produce low to no resin yield are eventually abandoned (Fig. 10a and 10b).
Fig. 10a/ Abandoned resin tree (Khou, WWF) â–˛ Fig. 10b/ Abandoned resin tree (Pinto, NTFP-EP) â–ş
8/13
Some local resin tappers have their ways to prevent water from mixing with the resin especially during the rainy season (Fig. 11). Otherwise, tappers make sure to clean the hole before the next collection.
Fig. 11/ Water prevention technique (Pinto, NTFP-EP)
4. Presentations and Discussion on Sustainable Liquid Resin Resource Management: Sharing of lessons learned, collection and techniques and practices from Cambodia and Vietnam. This activity was conducted on May 8, 2007 and was organized by the Cambodia NTFP subgroup on resin led by Mr. Khou Eanghourt of WWF Greater Mekong Cambodia Country Programme and the Ministry of Environment. Mr. Eanghourt presented his findings from his recently conducted research on liquid resin tapping in the Phnom Prich Wildlife Sancturay and Srepok Wilderness Area in Mondulkiri province, Northeastern Cambodia, with a focus on the collection techniques and patterns in the area. To stimulate some comparative discussion, Dr. Hong Truong Luu provided a general overview of dipterocarp resin in Vietnam: the types, uses, tapping techniques and key problems facing liquid resin resource management in Vietnam. The meeting was attended by 19 representatives from NGOs and government agencies particularly the Ministry of Environment and the Forest Administration. The meeting was hosted by and held at the Community Forestry International office, also an active member of the Cambodia NTFP Working Group. In the recent surveys in Mondulkiri (Fig. 12), WWF have found that oleoresin yield is steadily declining due to improper tapping techniques and hole maintenance. In recent years, resin trees in many parts of Cambodia, have also been vulnerable to commercial logging activities. The research in Cambodia provides some indication of possible causal factors of unsustainable resin collection and production. However, some of this is anecdotal evidence and based only on a record of collection practices and observation and inventory of resin trees, collection holes and of abandoned trees in the study sites in Phnom Prich and Srepok
9/13
Wilderness Area through the duration of the survey. No experiments and field monitoring have been conducted todate to study the rate of resin yield decline according to the size and type of trees, number of holes, type and maintenance of trees. Likewise, no sufficient studies have been made on the quality, processing and marketing of dipterocarp resin in Cambodia, which is deemed valuable for commercial exploitation of resin and sustainable harvesting. The second presentation about the Vietnam context by Luu Hong Truong of the Center for Biodiversity and Development in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam complemented the trends in Cambodia. In southern Vietnam, with the banning of resin tapping, it is believed that there is little incentive and actual enforcement of community forest protection. Logging of oleoresin trees continue, smaller and younger trees are indiscriminately tapped, and at observation of these trees, substandard chopping and tapping techniques are widely used (Fig. 13). In Yok Don National Park in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam, dipterocarp tree holes are sometimes fast burned to stimulate the exudation of resin at the risk of forest fires. Vietnam faces similar problems in Cambodia with regard to the decline in dipterocarp trees and declining volume and quality of resin due to forest fires, damage to trees, etc. There are studies and observations of damaged trees with strong causal indications of unsustainable tapping practices, although this has also not been properly monitored and documented. Likewise, no studies have been conducted about the optimal and sustainable tapping techniques and collection patterns, however, there are also anecdotal evidence but no scientific-based studies available. Studies and systematic observations are constrained due to lack of access to resin areas; most of the dipterocarp resin are located in protected areas. Technically, resin tapping and collection is already barred in Vietnam. Most of the resin tapping is now being done and observed in coastal central Vietnam. Market studies on resin in Vietnam are also not available. There was a common interest expressed in the discussion to explore more environmentally friendly techniques especially for stimulating resin exudation. 5. Field Visit and Community Exchange on Liquid Resin Resource Management in Preah Vihear, Cambodia A field trip for exchanged experience hosted/facilitated by the Cambodia NTFP Working Group took place in Kulen Prom Tep Wildlife Sanctuary in Preng Thom Commune, Chong Ksan District, Preah Vihear on 10 May 2007. Most of the 36 participants were tappers from the village Thmat Boeuy, Po, Pu Khuong, Prame (Preah Vihear Province), Ochra (Mondulkiri Province), Porapet and (?) (Kompong Thom Province). The other participants are from the local Forest Administration, local Department of Environment, MoE/WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society, CED project (Kratie Province), CFI, Development Partnership Action (DPA), Oxfam GB and the local host organization, Buddhist Progressive Society. The locally practiced tapping technique was demonstrated by a tapper of Thmat Boeuy Village, after which discussions and village comparisons followed. Providing related techinal and scientific knowledge, Mr. Khou Eanghourt and Dr. Luu Hong Truong worked as facilitators for discussion on negative and positive aspects of the demonstrated tapping technique. The exchanged experience from all the paricipants contributed to find out problems and to suggest more sustainable techniques. Finally the NGO participants also shared their current project strategies around community resin resource management and livelihoods and the challenges facing these projects.
10/13
Although the demonstrated tapping technique generally complied with traditional practices, there were some shortfalls, and differences in tapping among communities, and suggestions around good practice liquid resin management: Among these observations are: - It is normal that some dry plant materials are put into the hole, which still contains some oleoresin, and then burned to fire the tapped hole for 2-3 minutes before the fire is stamped out. This short fire is good because the wood is not damaged much, but the unburned plant materials become impurities remaining in the later collected oleoresin. Therefore, it is suggested to scoop off all the oleoresin and clean the hole after firing. In Vietnam, a broom made from grass inflorescences is usually used in this case. It is easily made and functions properly. - Despite the minimum diameter at breast height of dipterocarp trunks to start tapping is commonly reported (and confirmed by the local forest administrator) to be from 55-60 cm, difference in sizes of tapped holes among communities is reported. The size of the tapped hole is 26 cm broad x 15 cm high x 11 cm deep as demonstrated by the Thmat Boeuy tapper and respectively 30 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm as reported by a tapper from Kompong Thom. An experienced tapper coming from Ochra Village (Mondulkiri Province) reported the tapped hole in his forest is almost as big as the demonstrated hole, except it is 12 to 13 cm in height. He also argued that the demonstrated tapped hole is too big for the tapped tree and thus may cause this tree to die. - The tapped hole is positioned directly under a lowest branching site on the trunk. This is reported to ensure that oleoresin will flow. When the positioning (directing) branch is dead, the tappers report that this stops the exudation of oleoresin from that hole, therefore a new hole under another branch will be tapped. Although tappers believe that the death of the positioning branch is due to natural causes, e.g. by storms or other fallen branches, we did see a dead branch directly above a tapped hole on a Dipterocarpus intricatus in Kulen Prom Tep Wildlife Sanctuary. Does this reflect that tapping may cause certain impact on the viability of the positioning branch and therefore of the tapped tree? - Although it is reported that tappers often clear the ground litter in a radius of about 1 m around the tapped tree before burning the hole in order to avoid forest fire, it should be mentioned about this in a manual of good practice on oleoresin tapping and management techniques. - In general, D. alatus and D. intricatus are two main speicies for tapping oleoresin for the participating communities. The importance of a species relative to the other in providing oleoresin depends on the availability of the species in the forest. However, the price of oleoresin from D. intricatus is higher for that from D. alatus. If the two oleoresins are mixed, they sell at the same price of D. alatus. The prices of the two oleoresins are R 40,000 and R 35,000 per container of 30 liters in the dry season and are decreased to be R 30,000 and R 25,000 in the rainy season, respectively. The difference in prices between the two seasons is caused by the rainy water mixed in oleoresin. To prevent oleoresin from the rainy water, the local tappers use a sheet made from palm leaves to cover the tapped hole. This may be one of the easiest ways and it is applicable to other locations.
11/13
-
-
It is reported that hard resin from Shorea species is harvested in all communities having participants in this field trip. However, as one may expect, hard resin is less economically important than oleoresin (liquid resin). Harvesting oleoresin is practiced for one month (Porapet Village) to twelve months (Thmat Boeuy, Po and Prame Villages). This depends on the availability of labour encountered in harvesting resin. A participant coming from Kompong Thom reports that he hires 7 workers to harvest oleoresin of 1,700 D. alatus trees for 10 months a year. In the rest of the two months, the hired workers have to work for their own rice cultivation. Another owner of 17,000 D. alatus trees is known to harvest his oleoresin throughout the year.
The discussion of livelihood project experiences drew a lot of interest from the participants especially around DPA’s experience and lessons learned in establishing a resin association and the collective marketing of resin to Vietnam. The resin association was set up in February 2007 including 15 tapping families who pay a membership of R 20,000. DPA contributed R 4 million to the association. A resin depot was built from construction materials contributed by DPA and labour contributed by the association members, who are primary resin collectors. A committtee of 5 members is responsibe to manage the association. The resin depot is used to gather all resin harvested by the association members at the same price (R 30,000 per container) as in the market which is 15 km away from the village. This is very helpful for tappers who have to walk between their village and the market. Two members of the committee are responsible for marketting the resin. It is now the resin sells to middlemen at higher prices (R 2,0003,000 up per container). After the first three trading times (totalling > 200 containers), the association gets a profit of about R 700,000. 40% of the profit is returned to the association members and the rest 60% is used in donating poor women and school children and in reserved for the association’s activities, including providing a monthly salary of R 30,000 to the two marketing persons each. In addition, the association helps its members to buy commodities (e.g. rice) from Vietnam at fair prices. The success of this first resin association is eoncouraging DPA to explore the expansion to two more village resin associations and build a resin depot at the district town. The model of resin association developed by DPA could be applied in other tapping communities. The participants expressed interest to visit the community and learn more from them. 6. Recommendations The following recommendations were drawn from the discussions and exchange activities conducted: a. Document and disseminate in local languages of good practices in oleoresin tapping and management techniques to ameliorate the current decline of oleoresin yield and for quality improvement. This could be in a form of a short illustrated/photo manual, which will include environmentfriendly tapping and management techniques (including hole maintenance) that can be adopted. Some techniques are already being practiced in a number of areas in Cambodia as well as in other countries that can be more widely shared.
12/13
b. Research and conduct monitoring surveys to ascertain the rate and causes of oleoresin yield decline vis-Ă -vis the size and type of trees, the number of holes per tree and the quality of tapping and hole maintenance. c. Study the supply chain and market demand of oleoresin in the region and elsewhere to determine long-term higher value and returns for local communities. d. Initiate research and advocacy around the policy and legal corridors for resin management, marketing and trade in Cambodia and Vietnam that will provide fair benefits to forest-reliant communities in the two countries, especially for ethnic minorities. e. Explore the feasibility and requirements of planted dipterocarp forests for exploiting resin. These planted forests may be supplemental resin sources to conserved natural forests. Cultivating the environmental, cultural and economic values of dipterocarp forests sustainably can contribute significantly to the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities and to the national economies of Cambodia and Vietnam. References: Baird, Ian G. (2005). Dipterocarpus wood resin tree tenure, tapping and trade in Teun commune, Kon Mum district, Ratanakiri province, northeast Cambodia. NTFP Project, Ban Lung, Ratanakiri, Cambodia. Evans, T.D. et al (2003). A Study of Resin-tapping and Livelihoods in Southern Mondulkiri, Cambodia with Implications for Conservation and Forest Management (Phnom Penh: Wildlife Conservation Society). Khou, E. et al (2007). A Study of Liquid Resin Tapping: Scope of Threats, Biodiversity Conservation and Management Approaches in Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary, Modulkiri Protected Forest/Sre Pok Wilderness Project (Phnom Penh: World Wide Fund for Nature Cambodia). McKenney, B. et al (2004). Focusing on High Value Forests: Livelihoods and Management (Phnom Penh: Wildlife Conservation Society).
13/13