Approximately 1/3 of the hilltribe residents of UHDP's focus area of 21 communities lack access to any farmland. Consequently, they are dependent on hiring out as seasonal farm labor on local plantations. Unfortunately such work and income is often infrequent. As a result, UHDP is working to help "landless farmers" supplement family food and income through backyard agriculture. However, challenges to backyard farming include very limited land, poor soil, shade and lack of water. So what might be done?
Viable backyard agriculture approaches include small-scale livestock production (mainly pigs and native chickens), catfish production in tanks, mushroom farming and gardening. Backyard gardening should include mixtures of both annual vegetables (e.g., beans, pumpkins, eggplants) and even more importantly, deep--rooted perennial vegetables and fruits that do not require much watering and bear throuqhout much of the year.