Economic Perspective of Traditional Jhum Cultivators and Agroforestry Farmers Among the Noctes of Arunachal Pradesh, India

AbstractAgriculture forms the backbone of the tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh, shaping both their cultural identity and livelihood strategies. This study compares the livelihood systems of the Noctes settled in Dadam village with the migrant Nocte, practicing modern agroforestry in Rajanagar village. Data were collected from 60 households (30 from each village) through structured and semi-structured interviews. The analysis focuses on productivity, income generation, socio-economic conditions, input requirements, and market strategies across the two systems. The productivity of traditional jhum cultivation is found to be Rs. 43,593.26 ha-1 while modern agroforestry gives productivity of Rs. 99,753.25 ha-1. Findings indicate that while traditional cultivation holds cultural and ecological significance, it faces limitations in meeting contemporary economic demands. In contrast, modern agroforestry demonstrates higher productivity and market adaptability. Higher productivity is also accompanied by a higher input cost of Rs. 9,095.96 ha-1 in agroforestry systems, whereas traditional cultivation shows minimal input cost of Rs. 3,711.18 ha-1. The study suggests that an integrated approach by blending traditional ecological knowledge with modern agroforestry techniques can enhance both economic resilience and environmental sustainability.