Mizoram allows 'jhum' cultivators to continue work despite lockdown

Worried over the inconveniences faced by farmers of Mizoram due to nation-wide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the state government on Wednesday asked officials to ensure that jhum cultivators can continue their work without any problem.

Jhum cultivation is slash and burn agriculture in which the land is first cleared of trees and vegetation, which are then burnt. Crops are grown on the land after it. This primitive practice of cultivation exists in the northeastern states.

Agriculture Minister C Lalrinsanga said the state government was giving top priority to farmers and efforts are being made to resolve the problems they are facing in the current situation. During a video conference with deputy commissioners and district agriculture officers, he instructed them to take measures to ensure uninterrupted work by 'jhum' farmers. Jhum, also known as shifting cultivation, degrades the environment and the Mizoram government last year said its New Land Use Policy has contributed to the decline of jhum area by 31.3 per cent in six years.

Lalrinsanga said a total of Rs 864.16 lakh has been deposited to the bank accounts of 43,208 farmers in the state under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) till date. Under the Scheme, income support of Rs 6000 per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments every four months.

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