Shifting cultivation/Jhum Cultivation in Bangladesh
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The document discusses shifting cultivation, or jhum, an indigenous agricultural method practiced mainly by tribes in forested highlands. It outlines the cultivation process, the types of crops grown, the environmental and social impacts, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of this practice in Bangladesh. The conclusion emphasizes that traditional customs and poverty drive the continued reliance on this method despite its unsustainable consequences.
Shifting cultivation/Jhum Cultivation in Bangladesh
- 1. Presentation topic Shifting Cultivation Presented By; Mahedi Hasan Zahid
- 2. Content ◦ Introduction. ◦ Cultivation method & harvesting & cultivated crops. ◦ Steps of shifting cultivation. ◦ Crops Cultivated/Found In Jhum. ◦ Favor of jhum cultivation.
- 3. Content ◦ Impact of Shifting Cultivation. ◦ Shifting Cultivation in BD. ◦ Advantages and Disadvantages. ◦ Against jhum cultivation. ◦ Conclusion.
- 4. Introduction What is Jhum/Shifting cultivation? ◦ An indigenous cultivation method in agriculture. ◦ Farmers slash and burn a patch of land and start growing food crops. ◦ Shifting Cultivation is often practiced by primitive tribes in the forested highlands of the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, etc. ◦ When soil fertility declines they shift to another place, burn jungle again.
- 7. Cultivation Method ◦ The small trees, shrubs and herbs are usually cut down in the month of December-February. ◦ Then, they are kept several months for sun drying. ◦ After drying they are burned and different types of seed are sown. ◦ Crops are harvested at the time of their ripeness.
- 8. Steps of shifting cultivation ◦ Site selection ◦ Slashing ◦ Burning ◦ Cleaning and fencing ◦ Weeding ◦ Harvesting
- 10. Crops Cultivated/Founded In Jhum. ◦ The main crops generally grown in jhum include rice, maize, millet, sesame, cucumber, pumpkin, melon, red amaranth, Stringbean, cotton, banana, ginger, turmeric etc.
- 12. Favor of jhum cultivation. ◦ Uses forest’s natural cycle of regeneration. ◦ Organic farming, doesn’t use pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Burned trees provides potash, zinc etc. ◦ Jhum causes only temporary loss of jungle. Because once monsoon over farmers abandon the land for 8-10 yrs. and jungle regenerate quickly. ◦ It is the only source of livelihood for some tribal people. ◦ Jhuming done in steep hill slopes where secondary cultivation is not possible. ◦ Overall, jhum cultivation is both productive and ecologically sustainable.
- 13. Impact of Shifting Cultivation. • In the past, they practiced Jhum in the same area with a fallow period of 15-20 years, which ensured long term sustainability of soil fertility. • With the rapid growth of population, the fallow period has been reduced to 3-4 years, allowing very little time for regeneration. • The decrease in fallow period has led to the deterioration of faunal and microbial organisms, top soil loss, and land degradation due to slashing and burning during the period of heavy rainfall.
- 14. Hills of Bangladesh ◦ Hills of Bangladesh could be broadly classified in two classes depending on the formation- Tipam-Surma (57%) and Dupitila (43%) distributed in different districts
- 15. Improving Shifting Cultivation in BD ◦ Multi Strata Food Orchard (MSFO) ◦ Native techniques ◦ Using mulch for soil protection ◦ Managing trees for biodiversity conservation ◦ Managing the coppices of some tree species ◦ Some others sustainable modern techniques/methods for soil conservation ◦ Hedgerow planting, Terracing ◦ Geo-jute technology
- 16. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages • Declining of soil fertility and increasing population. • Unusually high incidence of diseases and pests. • Social or religious customs may dictate the abandonment of site before its fertility level has become marginal. Disadvantages • It tends to discourage high level of inputs. • It requires a great deal of land to maintain the system. • Low efficiency in land utilization. • Low efficiency in labor utilization.
- 17. Against Jhum Cultivation • For the regeneration of jungle 10 years needed, but now-a-days farmers come back in 4-5 yrs. Not enough time for regeneration. • Jhum farming families always suffer from food, fuel and fodder problems, leading to poverty and malnutrition. • Tons of biomass loss due to burning of trees. • Tree burning leads to; 1. higher CO2, NO2 and other greenhouse gases, 2. higher run off of rainwater. Hence draught, drinking water shortage. 3. Soil erosion, siltation in dams.
- 18. Environmental Effects ◦ Deforestation ◦ soil erosion ◦ loss of biodiversity ◦ There are various effects of shifting cultivation with large scale deforestation due to this cultivation it occurs undesirable ecological imbalances. The clearance of forest causes deforestation which accelerates soil erosion and accentuates the variability in rainfall distribution.
- 19. Conclusion ◦ The people are still practicing shifting cultivation mainly because of their customs and traditions. The cycle is exacerbated by poverty coupled with persistent food shortages. Shifting cultivation is their way to ensure food supply for the families. The actual unsustainable shifting cultivation creates a lot of inverse consequences.
- 20. Any query?