Milpa and Ladang are different names for

Milpa and Ladang are regional names for shifting cultivation, a primitive form of subsistence agriculture also known as slash-and-burn or swidden agriculture [4]. In this system, farmers clear forest patches by cutting and burning vegetation, using the resulting ash to fertilize the soil [3]. Once the soil's fertility is exhausted after a few years, the cultivators move to a new plot [3]. The term 'Milpa' is predominantly used in Mexico and Central America [2]. 'Ladang' is the specific name used for this practice in Malaysia and parts of Southeast Asia [3]. This agricultural method is typically found in tropical regions with high rainfall and rapid vegetation regeneration, such as the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, and Northeast India, where it is locally called 'Jhum' [3].

Sources

1. [1] Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > JHUM/SHIFTING CULTIVATION > p. 309
2. [2] https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/hess403.pdf
3. [4] FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Primary Activities > Primitive Subsistence Agriculture > p. 27
4. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Shifting Cultivation > p. 435