|
|
Farmers in the Indian Himalayan region have been practicing agroforestry since time immoral
. Agroforestry practice complements hill farming and forms the backbone of subsistence agriculture. The present study was carried out in four districts of Garhwal Himalaya. Agroforestry area was demarcated using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System techniques. The information regarding agriculture and tree crop pattern was collected through questionnaire survey and direct observations. The agri-horti-silviculture is very common practice of this region. As compared to geographical area the net sown area is very low with wide variations within study area. A small portion of the net sown area has been utilized for the agroforestry purpose. Topographical factors play a crucial role in utilization of the land for agroforestry purpose. Highest agroforestry area, as well the highest agroforestry land as percentage of total geographical area, was estimated as 2.13 % in one of the district of study area. Within 300–7100 m a.s.l. of study area, maximum agroforestry was found in 1201–1600 m a.s.l. altitudinal zone and in 21°–30° slope. Cropping pattern is dominated by the traditional and low productivity crops, providing basic livelihood for a vast majority of the population. Many farmers in the Garhwal Himalayan areas are struggling to make a livelihood due to lack of other avenues of employment and small land holdings, leading to migration of mountain people toward plains. It is presumed that the rate of migration can be reduced once the agroforestry potential of this area is harnessed at an optimum level
Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
The seismotectonic characteristics of ten repeated earthquake swarm sequence within a seismic cluster along Jiali Fault in eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS) have been analysed
. The swarms are spatially disposed in and around Yigong Lake (a natural lake formed by blocking of Yigong River by landslide) and are characterized by low magnitude, crustal events with low to moderate b values. Ms : mb discriminant functions though indicate anomalous nature of the earthquakes within swarm but are considered as natural events that occurred under condition of high apparent stress and stress gradients. Composite fault plane solutions of selected swarms indicate strike–slip sense of shear on fault planes; solution parameters show low plunging compression and tensional axes along NW–SE and NE–SW respectively with causative fault plane oriented ENE–WSW, dipping steeply towards south or north. The fault plane is in excellent agreement with the disposition and tectonic movement registered by right lateral Jiali Fault. The process of pore pressure perturbation and resultant ‘r–t plot’ with modelled diffusivity (D = 0.12 m2/s) relates the diffusion of pore pressure to seismic sequence in a fractured poro-elastic fluid saturated medium at average crustal depth of 15–20 km. The low diffusivity depicts a highly fractured interconnected medium that is generated due to high stress activity near the eastern syntaxial bent of Himalaya. It is proposed that hydro fracturing with respect to periodic pore pressure variations is responsible for generation of swarms in the region. The fluid pressure generated due to shearing and infiltrations of surface water within dilated seismogenic fault (Jiali Fault) are causative factors
Read More
|
|
|
This article highlights the results of an action research to upgrade mountain farmers of bay leaf (Cinnamomum tamala Nees and Eberm) in Udayapur district of Nepal
. Farmers received low prices, lacked market information, capacities, and institutional mechanisms, and were exploited by traders. To address these constraints, three independent but interlinked pro-poor value chain (VC) upgrading strategies comprising VC coordination upgrading and horizontal and vertical contractualization were implemented. Information was collected from focus-group discussions with collectors, traders, and facilitators, and a questionnaire was used to collect pre- and postintervention data (n = 120). VC upgrading strategies improved harvesting practices, increased farmers’ bargaining power, and led to a threefold increase in price, which increased household incomes. Results demonstrated improved terms of participation of farmers and a general increase in market price of bay leaf in Udayapur. The study approach can be up scaled to reduce poverty from high value products
Read More
|
|
|
Cultivation of bay leaves (Cinnamomum tamala Nees & Eberm) to fulfil household income needs is a long established practice in Udayapur district of Nepal
. The practices adopted by farmers for bay leaf harvesting have not, however, been validated by scientific investigation for their sustainability. To investigate the impacts of harvesting on the yield of branch, leaves and biomass of leaves, a two-year research project was conducted in farm fields at Kopche village of Routa VDC in Udayapur district, Nepal. Four different harvesting treatments, the orientation and the order of branches were taken as independent variables to test their effects on number of branches, leaves and biomass of leaves. Orientation, harvesting treatments and order of branches had a significant effect on the number of branches, but not on the number of leaves or biomass (fresh and dry weight) of leaves in the year of harvest. Between two consecutive harvests there was no significant difference in the number of branches, leaves or biomass. Lower two-thirds portion of the trees produced the largest number of leaves and branches of the fourth order in both years. Therefore, lower two-thirds portion of the trees were suitable for harvesting. Our findings support farmer experience that no change in productivity of leaves is observed when harvesting each year. For long term sustainability, harvesting should be conducted without debarking of trees or damage to branches. Our findings could be extrapolated to and tested in other areas with different access and user rights where the rotation for harvest is fixed or regulated without research evidence
Read More
|
|
|
This article presents the findings of a study that analysed the Indian Bay Leaf (Cinnamomum tamala) Nees and Eberm value chain (VC) in Uttarakhand, India and Udayapur, Nepal
. The results show that bay‐leaf VCs are loosely integrated and consist of stakeholders with asymmetrical power relations and different priorities. Traders in India dominate the chains and inappropriate standards lead to the exploitation of small producers and inequity in the chain. Policy measures are suggested for improving co‐ordination and competitiveness in the bay‐leaf VC which could be applied to the NTFP sector as a whole
Read More
|
|
|
Non-timber forest product commercialisation requires information on what and who is involved in markets, but this is rarely documented
. This paper presents the findings of a study to assess the structure and dynamics of markets for bay leaf ( Cinnamomum tamala Nees and Eberm) in Nepal and in Uttarakhand state in India. Data were collected from key informant interviews with stakeholders from the governments of the two countries, research agencies, user groups and traders associations, from focus group discussion involving 100 farmers and district and wholesale level traders, and from stakeholder meeting and interviews with traders using an open-ended questionnaire in the two countries. It was found that of the 2,500 tons of bay leaf traded in Nepal in 2009, 86 % was exported to India. The total size of the bay leaf market in Uttarakhand is estimated at 1,470 tons, with the spice industry as the main consumer. Nepalese bay leaf sustains the demand in Indian markets that were studied. Processing of leaves into essential oil and powder by wholesale traders takes place in Nepal and India respectively, but no regional trade in essential oil was observed. Three quality grades are sold in markets which are not known to the farmers. The bay leaf trade is increasing, creating an opportunity for farmers to engage in its cultivation. There is a need for transferring market information and improving policy implementation to promote transparent and equitable market linkages that enhance benefits to mountain farmers
Read More
|
email alert
or subscribe to the 
RSS feed.
