Livelihood Status of Tribal People Practicing Shifting (Jhum) Cultivation in Tripura State of North-East India

Jhum or shifting cultivation is the dominant land-use practice of northeastern region of India. Jhum cultivation systems are generally productive, making efficient use of resources, ensuring ecological sustainability and food security, thus providing a social safety net for local communities. It is an ecologically and economically viable system of agriculture as long as population densities are low and Jhum cycles (fallow period) are long enough to maintain ecological balance. Population explosion and increased demand for cultivable land with the emergence of new generation of youth cultivators have resulted in reduction of the cultivation cycle. This has seriously affected the local livelihoods and environmental sustainability in many pockets of the region. This study was conducted during 2012-13 in Gomati district of Tripura state in North-East India to understand the livelihood status of tribal people practicing Jhum. Data were collected using structured interview scheduled for 140 tribal farmers. The results revealed that the highest proportion (39.3%) of tribal farmers have low livelihood status followed by medium (36.4%) and high (24.3 %) livelihood status. Education, family size, number of family members involved in Jhum, area under Jhum, annual income, fallow period, livestock possession, material possession, and extension participation had positive significant relationships with the livelihood status of the study sample and thus, could be manipulated to improve the livelihood status of tribal people.

Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 25 (3): 316-326 (2014)