The Ikalahans are in the area west of Santa Fe. Iwaks live in valleys south of Kayapa. Other tribes are Isinais, as well as some Igorots and Negritos. The Igorots inhabit the remote areas of the province. Their women cultivate rice, rootcrops and corn, while the men hunt wild pigs and gather forest products.
Major activities are farming and cattle and swineraising.
Primary cropsare rice and corn, minor crops are rootcrops, vegetables and fruits. Fish production is confines to rivers and fishponds. Logging and sawmill operations were thriving industries once but Nueva Vizcaya was the first province in the region to suffer from severe deforestation. The province is rich in mineral resources such as copper, gold iron and silver, but most of these remain untapped. Buses going to Isabela and Cagayan Provinces pass through this province.