Farmers of Kashipur region in Odisha revived traditional practices to deal with ecological ruin and malnutrition.
The region in Odisha’s Raygada district has always been in news for wrong reasons. More than 50 starvation deaths were reported from this area in 1986-87, which forced the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to pay a visit along with his wife Sonia Gandhi. He made loads of promises to the people of Kashipur but over the years, the situation has only worsened. There were 21 alleged starvation deaths reported from the region in 2001 July-August. However, the government blamed it on food poisoning. Now the block has over 700 children with symptoms of malnutrition. It suggests that various government programmes haven’t done well in ensuring food security.
But thanks to women of this area, the situation has started to
change for better. Agriculture has been transformed from an unreliable
livelihood option to a viable economic activity as farmers started
working in unison with nature. Kashipur is a sub-tropical hilly and
forested region inhabited by both tribal and non-tribal communities who
are primarily agrarian.
A badly hit agriculture
Agriculture was a reliable occupation till forest cover was intact to check flash floods and soil erosion. “The rain was timely and climate was conducive. Today the forest cover has reduced to make space for developmental works, mining and industrialisation besides fulfilling the commercial needs for timber. Changing weather pattern has added to the problem,” says Sumani Jhodia of Siriguda village, who is the president of Ama Sangathan, a local women’s society.
A badly hit agriculture
Agriculture was a reliable occupation till forest cover was intact to check flash floods and soil erosion. “The rain was timely and climate was conducive. Today the forest cover has reduced to make space for developmental works, mining and industrialisation besides fulfilling the commercial needs for timber. Changing weather pattern has added to the problem,” says Sumani Jhodia of Siriguda village, who is the president of Ama Sangathan, a local women’s society.
Late rain, early winter and increasing incidence of heavy rain have
become frequent in the area. Heavy rain causes flash floods thus
eroding the loose soil of cultivated lands on hill slopes. Crop season
has been squeezed to only three months instead of the usual five. Late
rain delays farming activities, particularly in cultivation of major
crops like paddy and ragi. On the other hand, early winter season
damages crops before they are ready for harvest. This pushed the poor
farmers further into deprivation. “Because
we lost our crops, our financial condition worsened. I couldn’t even
arrange proper medical treatment for my husband who died of prolonged
illness a few years back,” says 40-year-old Jaimati Majhi of Dandabad
village.
Food insecurity and poverty led to distress migration of youth.
“These days, one or two members from each family migrate to other states
to work as labourers. Some of them even die at their workplaces. Last
year, two youth of Madigaon village died in Andhra Pradesh,” says
Sumani. In
such a scenario, Agragamaee, a non-profit working for sustainable
development in Odisha, suggested eco-village development through
involvement of members of local women groups.
The land will yield again
Taking clues from the non-interfered natural growth of tropical forests and Masanobu Fukuoka’s idea of one-straw revolution, a modified common model of farming was developed on the basic principles of no tilling, no weeding, no use of inorganic fertilisers and chemical pesticides.
The land will yield again
Taking clues from the non-interfered natural growth of tropical forests and Masanobu Fukuoka’s idea of one-straw revolution, a modified common model of farming was developed on the basic principles of no tilling, no weeding, no use of inorganic fertilisers and chemical pesticides.
Following methods of one-straw revolution, farmers do not loosen
the soil by ploughing the land. They sow seeds and cover them up with a
layer of straw or grass. This grass cover helps in germination as it
usually happens in natural forests. Not only the cover protects seeds
from sparrows, it also holds the moisture for longer time to help the
crops grow. Though this method was not new to the tribal farmers, it was
out of practice because of the invasion of commercial agriculture which
leads to high input cost and soil degradation.
No ploughing and no weeding saves the farm land by checking soil
erosion in events of extreme rain whereas no use of chemicals makes
farming economically viable and ecologically sound. For
manure, farmers leave the vegetative wastes like leaves, shrubs and
chopped grasses scattered on the farm land so that they get decomposed
into compost. Besides supplying essential nutrients, compost also helps
the soil retain moisture at the subsurface level to support plant growth
for a relatively longer period. Scientifically, apart from revitalising
the land for agriculture, this natural process helps with soil
formation as well.
Benefits harvested
The success has reaffirmed the fact that natural farming is the most sustainable option against high input chemical agriculture as well as shifting cultivation. It also re-establishes the fact that subsistence agriculture, unlike mining and large industries, can bring development to the communities without causing any harm to the environment.
The report first appeared on October 4, 2014, at the GoI Monitor.
Benefits harvested
The success has reaffirmed the fact that natural farming is the most sustainable option against high input chemical agriculture as well as shifting cultivation. It also re-establishes the fact that subsistence agriculture, unlike mining and large industries, can bring development to the communities without causing any harm to the environment.
The report first appeared on October 4, 2014, at the GoI Monitor.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Follow the blog to stay informed about all new content.