Adokgre, July 23: Farmers of Adokgre and its adjoining areas in the North Garo Hills of Meghalaya have adopted banana cultivation as an alternative to jhum for sustenance.

Jhum, also known as shifting cultivation, is prevalent in most parts of the Northeast, where a forest area is cleared for agriculture.

Adokgre village and its adjoining Goalpara district of Assam have become a popular destination for banana cultivation. Almost every household in Adokgre, both in plains and in the hills, are dependent on banana cultivation for generations.

The farmers said as jhum led to destruction of forest land and pristine ecology, they had to switch to banana cultivation to protect the forest land and rejuvenate the green cover.

"We have partnered with a government organisation to plant many trees in the area that had almost lost its green cover," said Beckingson Sangma, a 60-year-old farmer, who has left jhum and is now growing bananas.

He said during the peak of insurgency, militants had overpowered forest department officials and started cutting down trees illegally. "The militants came heavily armed, cut down the trees, and sold them to the timber smugglers in Assam." The quantum of destruction is evident from the huge barren patches in Ildek forest reserve.

Officials said the forest cover in Meghalaya has been reduced from 69.06 per cent to about 63.06 per cent in the past 15 years. Most of the forest cover has been reduced owing to population pressure, conversion of forest land into agricultural fields, deforestation, urbanisation and mining, they said.

Farmers of Adokgre were into banana cultivation for ages. However, it received a new impetus about five years ago with people abandoning jhum cultivation.

"I left jhum as I realised that it was posing a threat to our environment. As a means of sustainable income, I have started banana cultivation on about eight acres of land," Beckingson said.

In 2014, Beckingson started banana cultivation in a big way and is earning about Rs 10,000 a month now. During peak seasons, from September to November, he earns about Rs 25,000 a month.

For many farmers, banana cultivation has yielded better returns and ensured economic stability. The farmers in the area are now increasing their land to plant other cash crops like pepper, betel nut, jackfruit and oranges.

The farmers, who receive little help from the government agencies, sell their produce at Adokgre weekly market, the biggest banana market in Garo hills and at Daranggre market in Assam's Goalpara, the largest banana retail hub in Asia.

"Our farmers have realised that we need to conserve our forests. We had lost our forest cover because of jhum cultivation. The farmers are getting back to their roots now to conserve the green cover," said Charles Sangma, an adviser of the banana market at Adokgre.

Charles encourages the farmers to increase banana plantation. "I invite traders from Bihar and Bengal to the market. Every Saturday, we sell about three to four trucks of banana from Adokgre and its adjoining villages," he said.

He admits that the demand of Adokgre bananas was huge as it is organic. "Our farmers do not use any pesticides or fertilisers."

Sardan Sah came to Adokgre from Siwan, Bihar, about 40 years ago and started purchasing banana and selling them in the Guwahati market. Over the years, he has expanded his business and started his own company - National Fruit Company Pvt. Ltd. Sah purchases banana from Adokgre weekly and sells them at Daranggre.

"I have made a living from growing bananas of Garo hills. I enjoy a very cordial relation with the farmers here. It is an interdependent industry and we are carrying forward the business keeping in mind everyone's interests," said Sah.

The farmers fix the rates of their produce depending on the availability. At a weekly market, a truck full of unripe banana is sold for about Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh, depending on their variety.

A recent study published in Climate Change and Food Systems: Global Assessments and Implications for Food Security and Trade said by 2070, the land areas suitable for bananas will increase by 50 per cent.

Increasing annual temperature will make conditions more favourable for banana production in the subtropics and in tropical highlands. In such a scenario, the Garo hills region can reap benefits and make its pitch to combat climate change with food security.