Aizawl: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Tuesday said his government is working to gradually shift farmers away from the traditional practice of slash-and-burn, or jhum cultivation.
Speaking at Lo Zawh, a festival marking the completion of weed-clearing in jhum fields, held in his native village Tualpui in Khawzawl district, Lalduhoma said farmers remain the backbone of Mizoram’s economy and deserve priority and respect.
“Although jhum cultivation cannot be abandoned abruptly, the government has been taking steps to help farmers transition towards alternative methods,” he said.
Jhum farming, a subsistence practice involving felling and burning vegetation to clear land, is still widely followed in Mizoram for cultivating rice and cash crops such as chilli. The chief minister added that efforts are being made to promote Lo Zawh as a tourist attraction.
Lalduhoma also announced that the Tualpui–Champhai road will be constructed under the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), a project he said would accelerate economic growth and improve connectivity in the region.