Pros And Cons Of Jhum Cultivation [Infographic]

Jhum cultivation - An Age-old Farming Practice in Meghalaya

Jhum cultivation is a significant agricultural practice in the Northeast India. It is considered to be the oldest method of cultivation and is regarded as the beginning of the transformation of humans from food collector to food producer. This agricultural practice is believed to be 9000 years old.

The cultivation process involves clearing of forest area, followed by burning the remains, after which the crops are planted. The lowland agricultural practices, associated with Jhum cultivation resulted in a high degradation of the uplands. The process of clearing and burning the forest may result in high yield initially, but continuous cropping of the area results in decreased soil fertility.

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Meghalaya is primarily an agricultural state with about 83% of the population depending only on agriculture for their livelihood. The farmers of Meghalaya still rely on Jhum cultivations as the primary agricultural practice for a sustainable livelihood. For now, we present 10 pros and cons of Jhum cultivation in Meghalaya through this Infographic and leave it up-to you to decide. Whether it is helpful or harmful to the environment.