Department of WasteLands Development
 
STATE SECTOR SCHEME:
1. Agro-forestry – Fallow Management Scheme:
Agro-forestry system of farming:
Large-scale jhumming has proved to be the major cause of degradation and poverty. This evolving situation can be resolved only when alternate sources of livelihood, commensurate with conservation, are provided and implemented and food security ensured. Agro-forestry, a system of production-cum-conservation farming practice could be the main tool for sustainable economic development which can transform the destructive force of jhum cultivation into a generative force of economic growth.
 

This concept essentially is in terms of a package comprising of planting trees as a jhum crop, land shaping to control soil erosion and cultivation of shade-tolerant commercial crops such as black pepper, betel vine, cardamom, ginger, turmeric etc. under the trees to bring income from the same jhum fields during the gestation period of the trees. By this, the income per unit area of jhum field per unit time can be increased manifold.

  Cardomom.gif (45988 bytes)   Large cardamom planted under Gamari  trees at Chenwetnyu village, Mon District.
During the past 10 years, a gross watershed area of about 82,000 hectares have been covered under various activities of IWDP in the State, out of which the major activity taken up is tree plantation, mostly in jhum fields. As the gestation period of trees are much longer than the jhum cycle (average of 8 years), the farmers may be compelled to come back to the same area to do jhumming if no alternative is given to sustain them during the long gestation period of the trees. Therefore, as a follow-up programme to IWDPs, agro-forestry scheme has been introduced in the State for cultivation of shade-tolerant cash crops under the planted trees.

Bvines.gif (46416 bytes)          Black pepper vines climbing on teak trees at Baghty, Wokha District

Initial bearing of Black pepper fruit after 18 months of planting

 PepperB.gif (6589 bytes)
 

Past achievement

 

Perspective Plan for the Tenth Plan
Physical :
2000-01-2002-03 Tenth Plan (2003-04 to 2006-07)  : 10,000 Ha
Physical :                             3235 Ha
Financial :                            Rs. 364.00 lakhs Financial           : Rs. 1250.00 lakhs
 

2. Rubber Development Plantation Scheme:
The State of Nagaland has favourable agro-climatic conditions conducive for rubber plantation with promising techno-economic feasibility. The yield obtain is almost as good as that in traditional areas. Apart from achieving the major objective of increasing rubber production, rubber plantation also serve other interests such as social, economic and ecological. The rubber tree has already proved its role as an eco-friendly tree which can recuperate the vast expanse of wastelands. Rubber being labour intensive, can generate gainful employment opportunities and ensure economic returns to the rural people thereby providing viable alternative to shifting cultivation. States like Tripura and Assam are implementing rubber plantation projects as rehabilitation packages for economically settling the tribal jhummias. In Nagaland, large areas of rubber plantation can be taken up in the foothills where land is denuded and left fallow due to jhumming. Rubber.gif (35690 bytes)

A rubber farmer at work in his one year plantation at Asangma village in Mokokchung District.
During the last 4 years, the Department of Wastelands Development, in collaboration with Rubber Board of India has taken up Rubber Plantation project in Nagaland in 1500 hectares at the cost of Rs. 416.98 lakhs with loan from NABARD. This scheme is taken up with a view to encourage and involve poor jhum farmers in rubber plantation as alternative to shifting cultivation. Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided to growers for 3 consecutive years at initial stage of plantation. The first tapping of the plantation is expected to commence in the year 2006. The result so far is satisfactory and will rehabilitate about 1250  jhumias to a settled farming. The Department contemplates to continue the scheme in the next 10 years with a target of at least 5000 hectares, which will benefit 5000 farming families.

 

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