Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The labour requirements for upland rice cultivation are almost 300 person-days
per ha, with half of this requirement for weeding alone. The maximum cultivated
area per active labour unit is 0.6 to 0.7 ha (Lao-IRRI 1992). Among those who grew
rice in Hadyao in 2004, the average area cultivated was 1.0 ha and most households
(72 percent) cultivated between 0.5 and 1.5 ha. Given that the average number of
full-time workers was 3.0, the area cultivated was about half the maximum area per
labour unit, reflecting the degree to which labour had been diverted to rubber.
Of the households who grew rice in 2004, rice production averaged 1,730 kg, but
varied from 90 to 10,000 kg. The average yield of upland rice was 1.4 t ha
−1
, of
intercropped rice, 1.0 t ha
−1
, and of lowland rice, 4.0 t ha
−1
. The figure of 1.4 t ha
−1
corresponds well with the figure of about 1.5 t ha
−1
previously reported for upland
rice (Lao-IRRI 2000). The average period of rice self-sufficiency in Hadyao was 8
months; only 30 percent of households produced enough rice for household con-
sumption for the year (Table 5.5). Rice-deficit households obtained additional rice
by purchasing and borrowing. Given the above analysis of labour and yields, it
appears that the lack of self-sufficiency was more due to the reallocation of labour
to rubber rather than to declining yields.
According to respondents, since rubber was introduced to Hadyao, upland rice
cultivation had changed significantly. Nearly 75 percent reported that they cultivated
a smaller area of upland rice after planting rubber. Around 72 percent reported that
the yield of upland rice was lower than before the cultivation of rubber (though this
may have been confused with total production). About 78 percent said that the
labour used for shifting cultivation had decreased since planting rubber. The reasons
given for the decrease in the cultivation of upland rice were that there was less land
available so they had to grow rice on the same plot for many years, resulting in lower
yields (though the yield figures reported above do not fully support this). Moreover,
they did not have enough labour, especially for those who had started tapping.
However, the practice of lowland rice cultivation remained unchanged.
To explore the relationship between rice area and rubber planting, total rice area
per household in 2004 was regressed on the total number of rubber trees planted, the
full-time equivalent household labour force, the age of the household head, and the
education of the household head. The model explained only 5 percent of the variance
in the total area of rice. The coefficients for both the total number of rubber trees
planted and the full-time equivalent household labour force were positive and
statistically significant at the 10 percent level, though the coefficients were small.
Table 5.5
Rice self-sufficiency among Hadyao households
Months of rice self-sufficiency
Number
%
0
13
13.7
1-3
5
5.3
4-6
16
16.8
7-9
21
22.1
10-11
12
12.6
12
28
29.5
Total
95
100.0
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