write 5 ways to improve the agricultural system in mizoram
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AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM IN MIZORAM
The identification, description and explanation of farming types and
agricultural systems have been a long concern of geographers. An area or region
with similar functional attributes is term as an agricultural system. Some of the
geographers have used agricultural typology and agricultural system as a wider
term which emphasizes on the functional attributes. An agricultural system may
be a single farm, or group of inter related farms having similarities of agricultural
attributes. The variation in the attributes of agricultural system are the results of
terrain, climate, soil and sociocultural and ecopolitical factors (Hussain, 1999).1
Agricultural systems include the development and application of systems
methodology, including system modelling, simulation and optimisation;
ecoregional analysis of agriculture and land use; studies on natural resource
issues related to agriculture; impact and scenario analyses related to topics such
as GMOs, multifunctional land use and global change; and the development and
application of decision and discussion support systems. It also includes
approaches to analysing and improving farming systems; technology transfer in
tropical and temperate agriculture; and the relationship between agricultural
development issues and policy (Castalonge W. Oliver, 2008).2
The primitive types of agriculture in the hills in South Asia vary from one
place to another and from tribe to tribe. Almost in all the cases the method
adopted in clearing the field is common i.e. felling trees, bamboos and scrubs and
burning those bio-mass after exposing to sun for drying. However, the method of
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sowing the seeds varies from one place to another. When sowing is done by
broadcasting in some places, the same is done by dibbling in another place.
Variation in this type of practice has also been noticed in the North Eastern states
of India. Agriculture in Mizoram is the primary sector of the state's economy.
Although the rugged terrains are not very conducive to the cultivation of crops,
the even distribution of rainfall that varies between 1900 mm and 3000 mm and
the fertile temperate soil facilitates extensive jhum cultivation. A number of crops
like paddy, beans, cucumber, maize, arum, sesame, mustard and cotton are grown
by practicing jhum or shifting cultivation.
Agriculture in Mizoram is mainly dependent on rainfall. The entire
Mizoram comes under the direct influence of the South-East Monsoon, as such; it
generally receives an adequate amount of rainfall. Mizoram has received an
average annual rainfall of 2497mm during the last ten years. As per economic
classification of workers in 1991 census, the people who are involved in
agricultural activities as their main occupation constituted only 27.33 per cent of
the total population of the whole state accounting for as much as 64.62 per cent
of the total main workers of the state in the same year, and in the year 2001 the
workers in agricultural sector account for 31.86 per cent of the total population,
showing 60.60 per cent of working population confined in agriculture alone. As
per Economic Classification of Workers, 2001 census, 60.6% of the total workers
are engaged in agricultural activities mostly by practicing Jhum (shifting)
cultivation. According to Agriculture Census 2005-06 there was an estimated
97,223 numbers of operational holdings and the area operated was estimated at
1,16,645 hectares as against 93,298 hectares in 1990-91 Agricultural census.