Read the story of Rinjha and answer the question that follows :
Story of Rinjha
Rinjha lived with her family in a small village at the outskirts of Diphu in Assam. She enjoys watching her family members clearing, slashing and burning a patch of land for cultivation. She often helps them in irrigating the fields with water running through a bamboo canal from the nearby spring. She loves the surroundings and wants to stay here as long as she can, but this little girl has no idea about the declining fertility season.
Identify the type of farming being practised by Rinjha's family and explain its characteristics.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:01 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Type of Farming: Primitive Subsistence Farming (Jhumming)
Rinjha's family practises Jhumming — a form of primitive subsistence farming (slash and burn agriculture) common in north-eastern states like Assam.
Characteristics:
- Farmers clear a patch of land by slashing and burning vegetation.
- Cultivated using primitive tools like hoe, dao, and digging sticks with family/community labour.
- Depends on monsoon and natural fertility of soil; no fertilisers or modern inputs are used.
- When soil fertility declines, farmers shift to a fresh patch of land.
- Land productivity is low.
Source: Agriculture, Types of Farming — Primitive Subsistence Farming, Chapter 4
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Explanation
The examiner expects you to: (1) correctly name the farming type and its local name Jhumming, (2) list at least 3–4 characteristics from the textbook. Avoid vague statements — use specific textbook language like "slash and burn," "primitive tools," and "declining soil fertility." The story clues (clearing, slashing, burning, bamboo canal, Assam) all point to Jhumming.