Utilization of Non Timber Forest Products in Mount Jagoi Forest, Bau District, Sarawak

• Main Authors: Alexander Kiew, Sayok, Arlene Alicia, Toaiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: UNIMAS Publisher, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak 2019
• Subjects: Q Science (General); SD Forestry
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31490/1/Cover%20page%20july2019.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31490/2/Utilization%20of%20Non%20Timber%20Forest%20Products%20in%20Mount%20Jagoi%20Forest%2C%20Bau%20District%2C%20Sarawak.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/31490/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) are natural resources collected from forests apart from timber. The use of NTFPs based on traditional knowledge is widely known among the natives in Borneo including Bidayuh community in Sarawak. A study was undertaken in Kampung Duyuh, a village nearby community forest at Mount Jagoi of Bau District, Sarawak. The study recorded 61 NTFPs species belonging to 53 genera from 37 families. Close to 46.0% of them are edible, 37.7% species for medicinal purposes while the rest 32.8% for other uses. Among the edible species, 54% were fruits although most i.e. 89.2% were also used for medicinal purposes. Close to 10% of the households in the village sell these products at the village weekend market earning an average of RM400 to RM640 per month with higher income during the fruiting season (October to December) which can be as much as RM200 per day. Although a majority (more than 60%) indicated that they also grew the commonly used plants in their own land, substantial NTFPs (43.4%) sold such as wild vegetables and wild fruits were collected from nearby community forest. Because of their strong dependence on this forest, more efforts in conserving it are needed to ensure a more sustainable supply of NTFPs for domestic use and to supplement their income. Also, it was suggested that a longer-term study be undertaken to cover all seasons/periods of the year to understand more on the products being sold and their contribution to the local socio-economy