Local involvement and seasonal migration of catechu producers in the Magway Region, Myanmar

Trees and forests in developing countries are primarily valued for timber, and their importance for minor forest products have been largely forgotten nowadays. In Myanmar, Acacia catechu (L.f.) Willd. forests are still treasured by catechu producers for the extraction of tannin (catechu). However, those forests have been controlled by the state to achieve sustained yields since colonial times. Previous studies have examined the historical conflicts among producers and foresters that have resulted from strict colonial forest management. However, literature on the socioeconomic conditions surrounding catechu production in the postcolonial era is lacking. Herein, we explore the demographics of catechu producers, their household characteristics and their current production situation under state control. This study draws on household surveys, focus group discussions, and informal interviews conducted in 2019 in a township in the Magway Region. The results revealed that catechu production was a male-dominant, farmer-centric, off-farm-income-generating, interhousehold, and seasonal activity. The observed property ownership gap between households involved in catechu production and those not involved was found to be narrower than expected, indicating that catechu production may play a wealth-equalizing role in the study community. The technical aspects of traditional catechu production are currently the same as those in the past. During the production season, in response to the limited resource availability resulting from state forest control, the catechu producers in the study community temporarily migrate to neighboring townships. Thus, considering social equity, poverty alleviation, and sustainability of catechu production, the present findings suggest that state forest control should be reconsidered.