Crop diversification vis-a-vis shifting cultivation in Karbi Anglong district of Assam: an empirical analysis

The present study estimates crop diversification in the Karbi Anglong district, Assam, North East India, as well as the cost and returns from shifting cultivation in the hilly areas, along with policy measures for maintaining their sustainability in the long run. The study comprised both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collected from four blocks of the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. Two villages from each block were selected based on the intensive shifting practices, and 10 respondents from each village were selected randomly, making a total sample of 80 respondents. The average crop diversification in the region was greater than 0.8, indicating that the region is highly rich in diversity. The variable cost mainly consisted of hired human labour and seeds, of which labour cost was highest for cultivation because shifting cultivation is labour-intensive. Though the returns over total cost and variable cost for different crop mixes showed positive outcomes, it was necessary to recommend a policy to reduce human labour costs in hilly regions. So, a policy has been recommended to make small farm machinery (smaller than power tillers) readily available to farmers for cultivation in hilly regions. This will help reduce the human labour cost, thereby increasing the net returns of the farming community and distribution of higher-yielding seeding materials among them. This would enhance their income, so farmers in the study region must be encouraged to increase the extent of crop diversification.