tailieunhanh - Rubber Plantations and Transformations of Akha Society in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China: A Case Study of Baka Village

The tapper returns a few hours later and collects the latex. Rain guarding of rubber trees is practiced to extend the tapping period by preventing the loss during rains. About 35-40 additional tapping days could be obtained every year by rainguarding the trees. Since chances of black rot disease are high, systematic application of panel protectants at frequent intervals is necessary. Rainguarding is recommended only in areas where the yield is 675 kg/ha/annum or more and 25 or more tapping days are annually lost by rain. The popular types of rain guards are Polythene Skirt,. | Rubber Plantations and Transformations of Akha Society in Xishuangbanna Southwest China A Case Study of Baka Village Jianhua Ayoe Wang Research fellow at RCSD Chiang Mai University Email ayuwang73@ Mobile 089-264-4828 Abstract Rubber plantation in Xishuangbanna was promoted by the state for the sake of national security and defense industry. On the one hand rubber was urgently needed strategic material for defense industry of the newly established People s Republic of China and on the other hand the state needed to control over local natural resources and people particularly ethnic minorities in Xishuangbanna. More specifically rubber plantation was promoted to replace local swidden agriculture which was regarded primitive unproductive in terms of taxability and illegible uncontrollable in terms of accountability by the state. As local farmers were gradually forced to abandon swidden agriculture those who live lower slopes adopted rubber trees to resist against the state s control. Expansion of rubber plantation has brought economic and social transformations to local populations particularly Akha whose majority has become rubber farmers from shifting cultivators. Rubber plantation has not only brought unprecedented increase in cash income to Akha farmers but also accelerated economic stratification within Akha societies. This increased cash income has improved living standards level of the Akha farmers and lifted their social status. The latter is indicated in significant increase in number of inter-marriages between Akha and more dominant Han and Dai ethnic members in last decade. However increased cash income has also led to some social problems such as competitive consumptions gambling alcoholism and prostitution. Rubber plantation has also challenged Akha traditional belief system. All these transformations are exemplified through a case study of Baka village an Akha community of rubber farmers. Key words rubber plantation social transformation Akha