Scribd
Upload
191 views

Taungya System

The Taungya system is an agroforestry practice that combines timber plantation establishment with agricultural crop cultivation, originating in Burma and introduced to India in the late 19th century. It includes three types: Departmental, Leased, and Village Taungya, each with different management and labor structures. While it offers benefits like cost-effective forest regeneration and employment, it also poses disadvantages such as soil fertility loss and legal issues.

Uploaded by

kuldeepbaghel007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
191 views

Taungya System

The Taungya system is an agroforestry practice that combines timber plantation establishment with agricultural crop cultivation, originating in Burma and introduced to India in the late 19th century. It includes three types: Departmental, Leased, and Village Taungya, each with different management and labor structures. While it offers benefits like cost-effective forest regeneration and employment, it also poses disadvantages such as soil fertility loss and legal issues.

Uploaded by

kuldeepbaghel007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Taungya System of Cultivation

 The taungya system was used primarily as an inexpensive means of

establishing timber plantations but is finally a recognized AF system.

 The taungya (taung = hill, ya = cultivation) is a Burmese word coined

in Burma in 1850. The system was introduced to India by Brandis in

1890 and the first taungya plantations were raised in 1896 in North

Bengal.

 It was introduced to S Africa in 1887 and was taken to Chittagong

and Sylhat (Now in Bangladesh) in 1870.

 In India it started in 1896 in North Bengal. In 1890, it was

introduced to Coorg in Karnataka. Regular plantation however

started in North Bengal in 1911 for raising Sal plantations and in

1912, extended for raising Teak. In 1923 it was adopted in UP for

raising Sal plantations.

 It is still practiced in the states of Kerala, West Bengal, Orissa,

Karnataka and the north-eastern hill region.

 This is a modified form of shifting cultivation in which the labour is

permitted to raise agri-crops in an area but only side by side with

the forest species planted by it. The practice consists of land

preparation, tree planting, growing agricultural crops for 1-3 years,

until shade becomes too dense, and then moving on to repeat the

cycle in a different area. A large variety of crops and trees, depending

on the soil and climatic conditions, are grown in India. In fact this

system was introduced to raise forest plantations, but finally became

recognized agroforestry system.


Types of Taungya:

i. Departmental Taungya:
Under this, agricultural crops and plantation are raised by the forest department by
employing a number of labourers on daily wages. The main aim of raising crops along
with the plantation is to keep down weed growth.

ii. Leased Taungya:


The plantation land is given on lease to the person who offers the highest money for
raising crops for a specified number of years and ensures care of tree plantation.

iii. Village Taungya:


This is the most successful of the three taungya systems. In this crops are raised by the
people who have settled down in a village inside the forest for this purpose. Usually each
family has about 0.8 to 1.7 ha of land to raise trees and cultivate crops for 3 to 4 years.

Table 3.1: Trees and crops grown in Taungya

State Tree crop Associated agricultural


crops
U.P. Shorea robusta, Tectona Maize, paddy, sorghum,
grandis pigeon-pea, soyabean,
wheat, barley, chick-pea,
Acacia catechu, Dalbergia
rape-seed and
sisso,
miscellaneous
Eucalyptus spp. Populus spp.
Andhra Pradesh (AP) Anacardium occidentale, Hill paddy, groundnut,
sweet potato
Tectona grandis, Bombax
ceiba, Bamboo, Eucalyptus
spp.
Kerala Tectona grandis Bombax Paddy, tapioca, ginger,
ceiba Eucalyptus spp. turmeric, etc.
Assam Shorea robusta, S assamica Paddy
Tamil Nadu Tectona grandis, Santalum Millet, pulses, groundnut,
album cotton
Tamarindus indica, Acacia
nilotica
Acacia mearnsii ,Ceiba
pentandra
Cashew, Rubber, Bamboo
Andaman and Nicobar Pterocarpus dalbergioides Sugar-cane, maize
Islands
Maharashtra Tectona grandis, Acacia Sunhemp, jute, mesta,
nilotica sunflower, castor etc.
Tripura Shorea spp., Schima spp., Paddy, maize etc
Michelia spp.
West Bengal Tectona grandis, Shorea Paddy, maize, millets,
robusta turmeric, ginger, lady’s,
finger, pineapple,
Schima wallichii, Cryptomeria
sunhemp
japonica, Quercus spp.
Michelia doltsopa
Karnataka Tectona grandis, Santalum Paddy, tapioca, etc.
album, Cassia siamea

Advantages of Taungya:

 Artificial regeneration of the forest is obtained cheaply;


 Problems of unemployment are solved;
 Helps towards maximum utilization of the site;
 Low cost method of forest plantation establishment;
 In every case, highly remunerative to the forest departments;
 Provision of food crops from forest land; and
 Weed, climber growth, etc. is eliminated.
Disadvantage of the Taungya:

 Loss of soil fertility and exposure of soil;


 Danger of epidemics;
 Legal problems created;
 Susceptibility of land to accelerated erosion increases; and,
 It is a form of exploitation of human labour

You might also like