Significance of informal trade in non-timber forest products for the Koya people, an ethnic minority in Andhra Pradesh, India.

摘要

A systematic survey of the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in several villages of the Koya people revealed the full scope of their trade in NTFPs which are linked to field-crop farming. Past research on NTFP trade among ethnic minorities in India emphasized the role of government procurement of NTFPs. However, out of the entire NTFP sales in the study villages, formal procurement by two government agencies accounted for only 32%, whereas informal trade accounted for as much as 68%. Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) was the most important plant species. No government agency was involved in trade in any palmyra products. The NTFP trade has become a more reliable source of cash income than cash cropping. The Koya people appear to collect and sell NTFPs primarily as a way of raising funds to support their field-crop farming, which requires fertilizers and paid labor.