The Slush and Burn Shifting Cultivation has become nonviable economic option for the Tribal Jhumias as the investment is over 400% more than the income yield. Moreover, thousands of hectares of lush forest areas are burned and bared each year, thus contributing to global warming and climate change. Reports have revealed that between 1971 and 1991 the forest cover of the Northeast India came down from over 65% to less than 30%. To help reverse the trend, the Jhumias should be helped to adopt more viable economic options and the government of Nagaland sees animal husbandry as one of the best options for the Shifting Cultivators. Goat rearing was introduced in a few villages of a jhum farming community with great success, also in reducing the slush and burn shifting cultivation. It is time to upscale and replicate, through a better market business approach. "Livestock credit" concept has been planned to multiply the animal grower families which is linked to ready markets like army supplies, town butcheries within the state and neighboring states. The beneficiary family will repay the capital in form of animal or cash, with an interest payment through giving back a baby goat or its cost.

Problem

The Jhumia community have subsistence lives from the low yielding jhum farming where in some years a family may get enough crop to last them only for 5 or 6 months. Most often lactating women and small children are victims of undernourishment. These farmers live in perpetual debt traps as year after year the crop yield is lessened and further impoverishment takes place. Besides jhuming practice laid bare thousands of hectares of forest land. A village of about 400 families will need an area of more than 1000 hectares to grow crops for the year. Consider 40 villages in a district which will require about 40,000 hectares of forest/jungles to be brought under cultivation in a single year.Along with destruction of forest and bio-diversity resources, it adds to the global warming through burning of the slushed jungles. Innumerable species of flora and fauna are getting extinct on account of the Jhum Practice. The need is to develop a viable economic option to wean away from the Jhum practice.

Solution

Goat rearing is a high income yielding economic activity as the state has great potential, being heavy meat consumers. The supply of milk and meat to local consumers and arm forces supplies will have enough market, but there is also a huge potential for meat processing industry even for export. the topography, climate as well as the vegetation are highly suitable for animal husbandry and goat rearing is one of the most promising of success. The business ideas is to start an "animal Credit" system to encourage and explore large scale business opportunity, which is viable, eco-friendly as well as a potential to develop food security.

Example

Agribusiness model is being selected. Firstly for promotion, the "Animal Loan" or "gift 2 animals" scheme will be adopted by the promoters. The families may take a pair or two pairs of goats from the promoters. After a year the family gives back the capital or the grown size animals with one additional kid as interest to the promoters. There is an option for repayment in cash upon selling the products. The farmers are assisted by the promoters through training inputs and finding markets for their products. Within a year a family may earn 200% of income after payment of the capital amount. The promoters will link the farmers to the banks through the financial inclusion programme and they will be facilitated to expand their economic activities.

Marketplace

This is a new innovative idea of the very first in the area. Nagaland state remains as one of the heaviest meat consuming states in the country. Importing meat from other states runs into over 1000 crores each year. Where as the land, vegetation and climate is suitable for animal rearing, the sector is neglected. With training, and motivation, the people of tuensang district are now exposed to animal rearing through our initiatives. The local market is huge but it has not been organised. Our plan is to develop a market based economic activities be it sale in the local markets, supply to armed forces camps or in developing a meat processing industry. Our dream is for developing food security for the people in the jhuming communities and to create jobs and enterprises for the youth in particular. The major challenge is the market infrastructure especially transport.