In the Chittagong Hill Tracts of southeastern Bangladesh, Indigenous farmers are increasingly abandoning jhum, a traditional method of shifting cultivation. Instead, they’re moving toward the machan method where vegetables are grown above the ground on bamboo trellises. This transition is driven by a growing scarcity of arable land and declining yields, reports Mongabay contributor Sifayet Ullah.
For generations, Indigenous communities like the Chakma, Marma and Mro in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have practiced jhum, clearing small forest patches, farming them, then leaving them fallow for up to 20 years to restore soil fertility. However, as the number of farmers in CHT districts like Bandarban has risen, the fallow cycle has plummeted to just two or three years. This constant pressure has exhausted the soil, leading to poor rice yields and increased soil erosion during heavy rains. Government data confirm this decline: land under jhum in Bandarban dropped from 9,050 hectares (22,363 acres) in 2014 to 8,270 hectares (20,436 acres) by 2025.
Many farmers are now turning to the machan method, which uses bamboo trellises to grow vine crops like cucumbers, bitter gourds and beans. This system offers several advantages over traditional shifting agriculture, such as the prevention of pests and diseases.
“When crops grow close to the soil, they are prone to pests, fungal infection and waterlogging during rains,” said farmer Tipu Tanchangya, from Rowangchari in Bandarban. “Machan farming raises crops like gourd, cucumber, beans 4-5 feet [1.2-1.5 meters] above the ground, which reduces the risk of disease and water accumulation while keeping vegetables good.”
Unlike seasonal jhum, machan allows for multiple harvests throughout the year, creating additional income. Farmers like Tipu have reported higher profits after harvesting 2,400 kilograms (nearly 5,300 pounds) of bitter gourd in a single season — an impossible yield under the old system, he said.
Beyond economics, farmer Milan Tanchangya told Mongabay that machan farming is more environmentally sustainable for the region’s fragile slopes. While jhum requires clearing and burning large vegetation patches, leaving soil vulnerable to being washed away, machan requires only small patches for poles. The leafy canopy created by the vines further protects the topsoil from the impact of intense rainfall.
However, the shift from traditional jhum to a new way of cultivation is bittersweet. For the people of the CHT, jhum is not just a farming technique but a cultural identity tied to ancestral rituals, songs and social gatherings.
“The jhum system has been broken,” Prashanta Tripura, country director of the NGO Hunger Project-Bangladesh, told Mongabay. “But it is the identity of the hill people. For this, policymakers should take steps for protecting the comprehensive farming method related to Indigenous identity.”
Read the full story by Sifayet Ullah here.
Banner image of vegetables growing on bamboo machan trellises along hill slopes in Bandarban. Image courtesy of U She Thowai Marma.
This story first appeared on Mongabay
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