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Advantages Of Swidden Agrculture

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4. Comparison of conventional and daleh swidden agrculture
The infrastructure development, in-migration, massive expansion of oil palm, rubber and other commodities seems to be continued in East Kalimantan which supported by national private companies. On the other hand the rural people are still practicing swidden agriculture for subsistence as well as the way life. In Matalibaq village in particular where more than 90% of villagers practicing conventional agriculture are becoming aware of the need to improve the swidden system for a better economic. However they still unsure of the economic advantages of the daleh system, so that during the field observation they were interviewed about the swidden system and the conclusion as shown on Table 4 below. …show more content…

Interaction between elements in daleh swidden agriculture
5. Basic problem to develop swidden agrculture
The basic principle of shifting cultivation or swidden agriculture is to clear a plot of land and to plant with rice, and move to another plot of land in the next years in a cycle for the purpose to let the land to fertile naturally through the biomasss. The long of one cycle is various around 5-10 years depend on the fertility of the land/soil or other considerations of the farmers. It is mean that one farmer supposed to have at least 5 plots of land so that the soil has enough time to form sufficient nutrient from biomass.
However, the excistence and improvement of swidden agriculture facing some constraint and problems among others the expansion of oil palm plantation that decreased of suitable land for swidden agriculture. The narrower the land for swidden also means that the cycle became shorter, less than 5 years which in turn will decreased land productivity because no sufficient nutrient. Table below shows main problem for the existence of swidden agriculture in particular at the research site.

Table 5. Constraints and threats to the existence of swidden agrculture
No Constraint and threat

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