Slash and burn agriculture1/31/2024 ![]() The natural forest is not given enough time to grow, which is hampering the state’s environment.” Community farmingĭr Samuel Lalliansanga, deputy director of Planning and Monitoring for the Agriculture Department, said that there has been a 2-3 per cent year-on-year drop in Jhum farming. But the rotational period is now decreasing to 3-4 years due to the increase in population. Our state is rich in forest cover and the burned forest used to grow rapidly and be put to use again for Jhum after 6-7 years. Rothanga agreed that the slash-and-burn method decreases soil fertility. The government has been trying to create alternative livelihoods for farmers to prevent them from burning the forest and saving our environment,” said J. “We understand the serious implications of Jhum cultivation in the state as it has been causing the forest cover to deteriorate. Local government officials, however, conceded that Jhum farming is a significant problem. Moreover, 60,681 families practise Jhum cultivation throughout the state. ![]() Jhum cultivation involves burning a stretch of forest for farming © Gurvinder Singh The problems with Jhum cultivationĪccording to data from the state government, Mizoram has an area of around 21,08,700 hectares, of which 18,899 hectares are under Jhum cultivation. He further pointed out that Mizoram used to have extensive forest cover, which was cleared in large part by the ancestors for farming and also to hunt animals for food. Lalthangiana, a retired college professor and the author of Mizo Chanchin (The History of Mizo). “Our ancestors migrated in 1215 from the village of Mong Kaung in Myanmar and then wandered across several places before coming to Mizoram at the beginning of the 18th century,” noted B. Though it is not clear when the practice of slash-and-burn farming began in the state, historians believe that it has been used for the past several centuries. Under this method, forested areas are cleared and burned every year for farming and growing various crops. ![]() Mizoram is one of India’s smallest states and its farmers have employed the slash-and-burn method – popularly called Jhum cultivation – for several centuries.
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