Back to news
5 Aug 2016 | Shifting cultivation

Taungya System Workshop in Chin, Myanmar

2 mins Read

70% Complete

Taungya, or shifting cultivation system, is a major food and income production system for the majority of farmers in Chin State of Myanmar. A peer learning workshop, Good Practices in Taungya system, was organised in Hakha, capital of Chin, 16-17 June, 2016 by Chokhlei Organisation for Rural and Agriculture Development (CORAD),Group of Research and Exchange of Technologies (GRET) and ICIMOD. The workshop was part of ICIMOD’s AdaptHimal programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Twenty six representatives from local communities, government and non-government organisations participated. The participants exchanged know-how on managing transformations in Taungya system in Chin through group work and plenary sessions. They shared the challenges and opportunities for increasing food production and income. Issues related to declining soil fertility and crop production, land tenure and constraints in converting to permanent production systems like terraced fields and orchards were also discussed. Officials from the Forest Department and Land Record Department shed light on community forest programmes and orchard registration processes, respectively.

Farmers’ group work presentations on Taungya system Photo: Sanjeev Bhuchar/ICIMOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A case study on situational analysis of transformation in shifting cultivation from Chuncung village was presented and it highlighted the degree of transformation in shifting cultivation, constraints and opportunities regarding transformations, and capacity building needs and potential interventions points. Participatory tools and methods used for situation analyses were also presented.

Betty Ram Nawn shared good practices promoted by North Eastern Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) for transforming the lives of the poor and marginalised tribal families in the North Eastern Region of India. Sustainable agriculture practices supported by GRET, CORAD and CARD (Community Association for Rural Development) in Chin state, on issues such as organic fertilisers, slash and mulch, charcoal acid for soil fertilisation and pest control, reforestation, farmer field schools and gender equality, were also shared and discussed.

Participants also learnt about CORAD’s new project on Agricultural Diversification and Economic Integration in Northern Chin State funded by Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) covering about 130 villages of 5 townships in Chin. The project will demonstrate agro-ecological techniques on shifting fields as well.

On-farm demonstrations of good soil, water and crop management practices for Taungya system, programme support for good practices in Taungya systems, economic evaluation of different production systems in Northern Chin and continuation of peer learning on good practices in Taungya system were some of the suggestions from the participants.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

10 Jun 2015 News
Myanmar to lead the way with ecotourism in protected areas

On 19–21 May 2015, the Government of Myanmar launched its ambitious Ecotourism Policy and Management Strategy for Protected Areas, developed ...

11 Feb 2020 Atmosphere Initiative
Reliable data generation through improved air quality monitoring skills within the HKH

Rising emissions of air pollutants from urban, industrial, and rural sources have been steadily affecting the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) ...

10 Dec 2018 HI-LIFE
Fostering Regional Cooperation for Primate Conservation and Research in the Far-Eastern Himalaya

The meetings involved protected area managers, scholars, and experts from within and outside the landscape and explored opportunities and constraints ...

14 Jun 2022 News
Exploring future investment in biodiversity research and monitoring

Spanning across China, India and Myanmar, the Far Eastern Himalaya is home to the world’s rarest flora and fauna ...

30 Sep 2015 News
Community leaders from Kavre District learn about innovative livelihood techniques at ICIMOD’s Godavari

  Increasingly, many areas of Kavre suffer problems with water;  frequently there is not enough. As a result, many community members ...

27 Oct 2016 News
Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network Panelists Highlighted the Importance of Meaningful Collaborative Research in UIB

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the Government of Pakistan, the World ...

15 Jun 2015 News
HI-AWARE scoping study in the Teesta and Gandaki basins

A HI-AWARE team, together with local partners, undertook field visits to the Teesta ...

24 Jul 2015 News
SERVIR’s new science in forest fire management gets wider acceptance

The South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) intervention on forest fire,with support from ICIMOD’s SERVIR-Himalaya Small Grants Programme, has two strong ...