Study Guides/Geography/Jhum Cultivation
Study Guide · Geography

What is Jhum Cultivation?

In Geography, you often read about primitive farming methods practiced by tribal communities. One of the most famous and controversial methods in India is Jhum Cultivation.

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What is Jhum cultivation?

Answer

Jhum cultivation, also known as shifting or slash-and-burn agriculture, is a farming method where a patch of forest is cut and burned to grow crops. Once the soil loses fertility, the farmers abandon it and clear a new forest area.

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Key Facts

Other Names: Shifting Cultivation, Slash-and-Burn agriculture.

Practiced in: North-Eastern states of India.

Process: Clear a forest, burn it, farm it, and abandon it.

Environmental Impact: Causes heavy deforestation and soil erosion.

What is Jhum Cultivation?

Jhum cultivation is the local Indian name for Shifting Cultivation or Slash-and-Burn Agriculture. It is primarily practiced by tribal communities in the hilly, forested regions of North-Eastern India (like Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram).

How is it done?

  1. Slashing: The farmers cut down the trees and clear a patch of forest land.
  2. Burning: They burn the fallen trees and dried vegetation. The remaining ash, which is rich in potash, is mixed into the soil to act as a natural fertilizer.
  3. Farming: They scatter seeds and grow crops (like corn, millet, or rice) on this cleared land for a few years.
  4. Shifting: Once the soil loses its fertility (usually after 2-3 years), the farmers abandon that patch of land and move to a fresh part of the forest to repeat the process.

Why is it controversial?

While it was sustainable when populations were small, Jhum cultivation is now highly discouraged by the government.

  • It causes massive deforestation.
  • The burning causes severe air pollution.
  • Leaving the land bare after farming leads to severe soil erosion.

Questions and Answers

What is Jhum cultivation?+

Jhum cultivation, also known as shifting or slash-and-burn agriculture, is a farming method where a patch of forest is cut and burned to grow crops. Once the soil loses fertility, the farmers abandon it and clear a new forest area.

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