Why is shifting cultivation practised in the thickly forested areas of northeast India? Why is it not advisable to practice it
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Answer:
Shifting cultivation (slash and burn jhum) is widely practiced by farmers in the hill regions of the North-Eastern states of India. Though implemented in a sustainable way for generations, this system of subsistence agriculture is now facing many challenges and there is an urgent need to identify suitable alternatives.
Shifting cultivation is in transition across the world. Traditional land practices exacerbated by poverty and associated with a lack of technical knowledge is the main cause for the continuation of unsustainable shifting cultivation. Population pressure, inadequate land for cultivation, low education levels, policy planning and implementation without local participation are all factors that influence farmers' decision to continue shifting cultivation. Shifting cultivators from indigenous nationalities have the right to practise shifting cultivation and to government support to help make it productive and remunerative. The objectives of this paper are to study the trend, benefits and challenges of shifting cultivation in NorthEast India.