Adoption of Agroforestry technology in Mizoram – An economic analysis

Shifting cultivation is a predominant system of farming in Mizoram state of north-eastern India. Shifting cultivation becomes very wasteful because of the time factor and the system's responsiveness to changing requirements of high population pressure on land. As an alternative to shifting cultivation, agroforestry development programmes have been initiated by the Government of Mizoram since the mid-eighties. The agroforestry system being practised in the state is basically an Agro-horti-silvipastoral system with contour bunds made across the slopes for conserving soil and water. In the shifting cultivation system, the net returns are meagre and progressively declining each year, and even do not help to recover the costs in the thirteenth year. The environment-friendly and sustainable, agroforestry system is 10 times more profitable than shifting cultivation. The benefit cost ratio of 2.45 and internal rate of return of 108% of the agroforestry system, also indicate the financial viability of the system. The results of adoption analysis showed that farmers' decision to adopt agroforestry technology was positively and significantly related to the project assistance in the form of meeting costs, technological information, labour and seeds; farmers' experience in tree growing; and farm size. The results also showed that tenants were less likely to make long term investments in agroforestry.