Then they grow dry rice on it for three or four years before moving to new territory. The main agricultural crop is rice, but cassava, sweet potatoes, and bananas are also major products. Vast bamboo groves exist, and forested areas contain a number of quality hardwoods such as wild date, mahogany, teak, and rosewood, as well as berry, bean, and rubber trees. The region has basaltic red soils that give it a rubber-growing potential. In addition to farming, the Oy gather various products from the forests to supplement their incomes.
Fishing also provides a reliable source of protein.
The village is the most significant political unit of their society. Each is led by a village headman, who oversees the affairs of the community and decides important issues. Although the tribesmen are considered citizens of Laos, most of them have no special representation in the government. Although most of the surround peoples have adopted Buddhism, virtually all of the Oy continue to practice their traditional ethnic religion. The Oy believe that the forces and objects of nature contain both good and evil spirits.