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Traditional economy
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Since ancient times rice-growing has been the foundation of the traditional agricultural economy of Indochina. The word ‘peasant’ is primarily associated with the word ‘rice-grower’. Rice is grown everywhere. It develops perfectly in the hot and humid tropical climate, can be well-preserved in home conditions without expensive grain-elevators, and gives rich harvest with minimum fertilizers. Besides, rice is more nutritious than many other products. In many regions maize is also grown – it is of special importance if the harvest of rice is poor. People grow potatoes, manioc, cabbage, citruses and olives in their vegetable gardens. In Burma people have vegetable gardens on floating lake islands. Cotton and tobacco are traditional cultures. Some small peoples living in the hills until recently practiced slash-and-burn agriculture: they cleared forests, burned out areas of land and grew rice, cotton and maize. Buffalos, cows and other cattle migrated together with hill tribes. Bulls, buffalos, pigs, horses and small cattle is grown in many peasant families, although cattle-breeding is not an independent branch of economy. Cattle are used mostly as draught power. Fishing is another important branch of economy as well as hunting and collecting.
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