Juhm Farming in Nagaland

Sustainable slash and burn agriculture in North East IndiaAll photos © Julian Swindell

Nagaland, NE Indian state

Kohima, Capital of Nagaland

Kohima War Cemetery

Nagaland is intensely tribal

Quite tough tribes…

Angouli, from the Angami tribe

Hekani, from the Suomi tribe (with a “European”)

Kohnoma, home village of the Angami

Angouli at the very edge of the British Empire

All firewood is moved on foot in back baskets

Traditional clothing is based on warm, woollen shawls, woven on back-strap looms

The valley is intensively cultivated in terraces

Smaller “market garden” terraces run up to the village itself

Villagers can be in the fields in minutes

Potatoes, corn, beans and over 20 varieties of rice

There are no written histories and all constructions are said to be “about one hundred years old. They are clearly ancient.

Flooded terraces are used for rice at low level and fish farming at higher levels

Crops are planted and managed by hand and rotated

Towards the top of the terracing, things start to look different. Notice all the trees

Juhm shifting farming, based on Nepalese alder trees

The trees are pollarded, traditionally on an eight year Rotation. Branches are used for firewood and building

The trees are not cut down. After each pollarding, waste wood is burnt and ash spread around trees, and crops planted.

These trees show about one year’s growth, and the land around is still being cropped.

After two years of cropping, the land and trees are left to regenerate for another six years.

After four years it looks like completely abandoned farm land, but it is actually under a careful management system

The Angami valley is unique in Nagaland. In all other tribes, nearly all of the trees have been cleared and the land farmed conventionally

The Juhm system extends beyond the terraces, up the open valley sides

Farming on the hillsides is not as easy or as productive as in the terraces.

Where undergrowth is cleared on hillsides, steps are taken to stop open soil erosion.

Livestock, semi-wild cattle, are confined to the hillsides above the arable fields. They are brought into the village for slaughter. Every household also has a pig. Nagas eat anything that moves…

Kohima market is not for the faint hearted, (such as me)These eels come from the terraced fields. I didn’t ask where the wriggly black things with a million little legs came from

But do go to Nagaland, it is wonderful and welcoming. But note,If two of you want to go together, you do have to be married!