NITI Aayog Tables Tranformational Policy On Jhum Cultivation, Wants Land Used To Be Classified As Agricultural 

India’s policy think-tank has come with a proposal to take up a mission of shifting cultivation to ensure inter-ministerial convergence, reports The Hindu.

Shifting agriculture, a form of agriculture, practised primarily in North Eastern states (Known as ‘Jhumming’), in which an area of ground is cleared of vegetation and cultivated for a few years and then abandoned for a new area until its fertility has been naturally restored.

There is a lack of convergence among the Centre and State government departments of forests and environment, and agriculture often towards shifting cultivation, which creates scepticism among farmers, says a report titled ‘Mission on shifting cultivation: Towards a transformational approach”.

The report also calls for policy coherence and says that the land for shifting cultivation should be recognised as ‘agricultural land’. The suggestion comes as a big relief to farmers across the northeastern states as Jhumming is a vital mainstay of food production for a considerable population in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur.

There has been a reduction in shifting cultivation in north-eastern States from 16,435.18 square km to 8,771.62 square km in two years.

Though Jhumming ensures food security, it does not provide adequate monetary benefits to the family engaged in it. Thus there is pressure mounting on them to shift to horticulture, and regular agriculture, says M Pant, Director of the Northeast Centre of the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

The report also tries to address the issue of food security of people involved in jhum cultivation during the transition to conventional agriculture by broadening the public distribution system (PDS) to ensure widespread access to cereals and other essential food items. Extending credit facilities for farmers practising shifting cultivation also found a mention in the report.