Shifting Cultivation in Manipur:Land, Labour and Environment

Marchang Reimeingam

doi:10.25175/jrd/2017/v36/i1/112705

Abstract

Shifting cultivation is the main source of livelihood system in the hill areas of Manipur, one of the north-eastern States in India. It is widely prevalent due to lack of alternative farm employment. Its inputs are crude and traditional in nature resulting in subsistence income. Shifting cultivation is labour-intensive and has a traditional character. Empirical evidence shows that rapid population growth has increased the use of forest land for shifting cultivation in Manipur. The system's cycle has substantially declined due to population pressure on land thereby reducing the productivity. It has resulted in environmental degradation and problems of forest land re-vegetation. It has also led to a huge loss of forest resources every year. Its production is mostly organic due to sparingly use of inorganic fertilisers. Institutional changes in the form of private ownership of land have resulted in commercialisation of forest products like timber and firewood. Land use and forest laws need to be strengthened to safeguard and protect forest land. Ensuring food security and restructuring of land ownership system from community to private may reduce the practice of shifting cultivation and conserve forest cover.

Highlights

Shifting cultivation, commonly known as jhumming, is largely confined to the North Eastern Region (NER) of India (Report of Task Force on Shifting Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, 1983)
Shifting Cultivation in Manipur: Land, Labour and Environment survey and statistical abstracts published by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Government of Manipur, Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Population Census.On the basis of the practice of shifting cultivation the hill districts of Manipur are classified into hill areas covering the districts of Senapati, Tamenglong, Chandel, Churachandpur and Ukhrul; and the valley areas consisting of the districts of Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur
Contribution from agriculture in the State’s revenue has declined substantially;,income from forestry and logging has improved in recent times.The actual cultivated land in Manipur has increased remarkably as more and more rural labour is pressed into shifting cultivation

Summary

Introduction

Commonly known as jhumming, is largely confined to the North Eastern Region (NER) of India (Report of Task Force on Shifting Cultivation, Ministry of Agriculture, 1983). Its practice is contentious due to its harmful environmental costs It is commonly practised in the hill areas of Manipur, one of the north-eastern States of India. According to FSI (2011), the loss of forest cover was by 190 km[2] during December 2006/January 2007 to January/ February 2009 (satellite data) in Manipur Such loss in the forest cover is mainly because of extensive practice of shifting cultivation (FSI, 1987, 1995, 2005, 2011 and 2013).Shifting cultivation contributed to soil erosion, deforestation and destabilisation of the ecology (FSI, 1987 and MODONER and NEC, 2008). Under it the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is insignificant (Kerkhoff and Sharma, 2006). With this backdrop the present paper[1] evaluates the changing patterns of shifting cultivation under the forest environment and growing labour force in the hills of Manipur.It studies the patterns and trends of land use, forest cover, agriculture, forest income and agricultural productivity with special reference to shifting cultivation in recent times

Methodology

Findings

Conclusion