Jhoom or Jhum Farming is the most ancient form of farming practiced by mainly the tribal peoples of northeastern states of India like Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland and some districts of Bangladesh also. Jhum/Jhoom farming or cultivation method is usually practiced in the hilly areas having thickly forest area.
In Jhoom farming a portion of forest is cut down and all the trees and weeds or grasses are burnt and left for some time say 6 monthes, or a year. It is believed that this burnt ash of trees and weeds makes the soil fertile. After the soil is fertile enough seeds and crops are planted. Crops which do not require large amount of water are usually cultivated.
Merits of Jhum Cultivation:
Uses regeneration of forest’s is a natural cycle.
- Organic farming, doesn’t use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Trees burned to provide potash to the soil.
- Cooperation: after jhuming, the land distributed among farmers.
- Jhum causes only temporary loss of jungle. Because once monsoon over, the farmers abandon the land. Jungle regenerates quickly.
- The Jhum cycle normally runs for around 6-10 years. i.e. when farmers return to the same patch of land and burn forest again.
- During those 6-10 years, same jungle provides forest produce to the tribals.
- Contrary to that, monoculture plantation causes permanent loss of forest, due to chemical inputs.
- so once, you cut down a forest to raise monoculture plantation, you cannot reconvert the same land into natural forest again.
- Jhuming done in steep hill slopes where sedentary cultivation not possible. So it’s a reflex to physiographical characters of the North east.
- overall, Jhum economically productive and ecologically sustainable
Demerits of Jhum Caltivation:-
If you leave the jungle for ten years, it’ll regenerate. But nowadays farmers come back in 5 years. Not enough time for the forest to regenerate.
- North eastern forest is major carbon sinks, home to biodiversity. Must be protected.
- Jhum farming families always suffer food, fuel and fodder problems, leading to poverty and malnutrition.
- Tons of biomass gets loss due to burning of tress.
Tree burning leads to:
Higher CO2, NO2 and other Greenhouse gases (GHGs). This wasn’t an issue in ancient times (when there was no industrialization). But we cannot afford more GHG in modern era. Higher run off of rainwater hence draught, drinking water shortage. We cannot find oaks, bamboo and teak forests in many regions of North East- only deciduous scrubs left. This erodes biodiversity of the region. Soil erosion, siltation in dams.the whole forest and you can use the land only till the soil is fertile, after that land is of no use. Due to these reasons in some areas like Meghalaya, Mizoram, Jhum farming has been stopped.
