The jhum challenge
Jhum (slash-and-burn / shifting) cultivation has been the dominant agricultural system in Arunachal Pradesh for centuries. As of 2024, roughly 58,000 ha was still under active jhum across all 25 districts, with the highest concentration in Upper Siang, Anjaw, Tirap and Longding. Traditional jhum cycles of 15-25 years allowed forest regeneration; current cycles have compressed to 4-7 years due to population pressure and land alienation, causing soil-organic-carbon loss, slope erosion, and yield decline. The Jhum-to-Settled Cultivation Conversion Scheme (launched 2018, scaled up in 2022) is designed to give jhumia households a viable permanent-cultivation alternative while protecting community-tenure principles.
Eligibility
- Jhumia household (defined by the BDO based on land-use records for the preceding 5 years).
- ST shifting cultivator with valid ST certificate.
- Community Forest Resource (CFR) holder where the village council has resolved to convert a portion of the CFR to settled cultivation.
- Households without a pending criminal case related to forest encroachment.
Benefit structure
- Terrace land development: ₹1.25 lakh/ha for slope-stabilised contour terracing, drainage and check-dam structures.
- Water harvesting structures: 100 % subsidy on farm ponds (200 m³), jalkund and roof-water harvesting cisterns.
- Planting material: subsidised supply of large cardamom (Sawney), kiwi (Hayward), Khasi mandarin, walnut, areca, betel-vine and agroforestry combinations.
- Hand-holding: 3-year extension support through ATMA cadre — package-of-practice training, pest-disease management, weeding/pruning, organic-input demonstration.
- Livelihood transition allowance: ₹2,500/month per household for the first 12 months while perennial crops establish (covered out of NEC funding under North-Eastern Council Jhum-Conversion line).
How to apply — step by step
- Village Council passes a resolution identifying jhumia families willing to convert and earmarking a contiguous block of community/clan land.
- Block Development Officer (BDO) verifies jhumia status via 5-year land-use map and forwards the cluster proposal to the District Agriculture Officer.
- DAO + Forest Officer + Land Records Officer jointly survey the block; GPS-coordinated terrace plan is prepared.
- Beneficiaries register on agri.arunachal.gov.in with Aadhaar, ST certificate, village council resolution and bank passbook.
- Implementation in 3 phases: Year-1 terrace construction + planting; Year-2 maintenance + intercropping; Year-3 consolidation + first harvest. ₹1.25 lakh/ha released in 3 tranches against milestone verification.
Latest changes (2024 — 2026)
- April 2024: NITI Aayog and MoDoNER signed an MoU with the state for accelerated jhum-conversion in 12 border districts; outlay ₹600 cr over 5 years.
- July 2024: Large cardamom and kiwi declared priority crops; nursery network expanded to 18 districts.
- March 2025: Mid-term review showed ~22,000 ha converted since 2018; conversion target revised to 50,000 ha by 2030.
- October 2025: Forest Department issued a circular permitting limited tree-cover retention (≥30 %) on converted plots, preserving agroforestry character.
- 2025-26: Convergence with MIDH for perennial crop planting cost and PMKSY-PDMC for drip irrigation on the converted plots.
Common rejection reasons
- Village council resolution missing: a collective resolution from the village council is mandatory because the land is community-tenure; individual application without council backing is rejected.
- Block fragmentation: scheme requires a minimum 2-ha contiguous block per cluster to ensure terrace economics; scattered patches don't qualify.
- Forest-clearance pending: where the proposed block falls in a reserved/protected forest, Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 clearance is required.
- Beneficiary already covered: a jhumia household cannot avail the conversion benefit twice for the same plot class.
- Slope > 50°: extreme slopes are excluded for terracing on safety grounds; eligible for agroforestry sub-component instead.
Grievance: BDO → Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer → DAO → Director, Agriculture, Naharlagun. NEC-funded components have a separate grievance route to MoDoNER's state coordinator.
Coverage statistics
Cumulative since launch (2018 — March 2025), the scheme has converted ~22,000 ha to settled cultivation, benefiting roughly 18,000 households. District-wise, the highest conversion has occurred in West Kameng (large cardamom + kiwi clusters), Lower Subansiri (Apatani agroforestry refinement), and East Siang (orange + areca clusters). Upper Siang, Anjaw and Tirap have lower take-up because of difficult terrain and disputed community-land boundaries. State outlay since launch ~₹180 cr; NEC convergence ~₹220 cr.
How this scheme stacks with other instruments
The Jhum Conversion Scheme is part of a wider transition architecture. The CM Sashakt Kisan Yojana umbrella provides input subsidy on the converted plots; the Arunachal Organic Mission adds PGS/NPOP certification once production stabilises. Centrally, MIDH funds perennial planting material; PMKSY-PDMC funds drip irrigation; the Spices Board funds large cardamom curing kilns. Tripura and Mizoram run analogous schemes — see the Tripura Jhumia Punarbasan and Mizoram NLUP pages for state-level comparisons.