The Economic Value of Edible Wild and Semi-Domesticated Species Sold in an Urban Market in Khon Kaen Municipality in Northeast Thailand

The Khon Kaen Agriculture Journal, Vol.36(1)

pp. 69-78

 Shirai, Yuko and Rambo, A. Terry

This paper reports findings of a survey that was conducted during 2006 in Bang Lam Phu market, which is the central fresh market in Khon Kaen municipality in the Northeastern Thailand. The average daily value of sales for all 81 species of edible wild and semi-domesticated products in the dry season was 32,702 baht/day (US$ 919), which can be extrapolated to a total sales values for the whole 206 day long dry season of 6.7 million baht (US$ 189,231). The comparable figures for the 159 day long rainy season are 45,530 baht/day (US$ 1,279) for a seasonal total of 7.2 million baht (US$ 203,350). When these sample data are extrapolated to the whole year, the estimated total annual sales value of wild and semi-domesticated products in 2006 is almost 14 million baht (US$ 392,581). Of the 81 species sold in the market, plant products had the highest total annual value (7.7 million baht), followed by animals (5.7 million baht) and fungi (508,000 baht). Insects (2.3 million baht), crustaceans (1.6 million baht), and amphibians (1.5 million baht) accounted for most of the value of animal products sold over the course of the year. In the rainy season, 44 species of plants were on sale with an average daily sales value of 32,007 baht. In the dry season, the number of species decreased to 35 and the average daily sales value declined to only 12,674 baht.