Tribal farming practices in Koraput’s rich reservoir of biodiversity can help the country feed its millions
Submitted by chandrasekharnemani on February 24, 2012 - 17:19
Article and Image Courtesy : Business Line
Author : Sarada Lahangir
Ploughing the past: Primitive cultivated varieties of a crop, or landraces, are believed to harbour genes that protect against ecological stress such as lack of water or too much of it
A decade ago, Chandra Pradhani, a Paraja tribal of Nuaguda village in Kundra block of Odisha's Koraput district, used to migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to work at a brick kiln. The 42-year-old no longer does this. Today, he is feted by the nation — he was one of the two tribal farmers honoured by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 99th Science Congress in Bhubaneswar.
Pradhani is a natural farmer in every way. As he says, “Earlier we used a lot of chemical fertilisers, now we utilise the cow dung and vermin compost of our ancestors. To protect crops from getting infected, we prepare insecticides using neem leaves and other medicinal plants found in the forest. In this way, for the last few years, our annual yield has risen almost three-fold and profits have increased several times over.” With an annual income exceeding Rs 50,000, Pradhani can now send his children to school and meet the basic needs of his family.
Sridhara Jani of Lima village has a similar story to relate. Helplessly dependent on a fickle monsoon to cultivate his small, four-acre plot - with paddy grown on one acre - life was a constant struggle. Yields were minimal - the 1-1.5 quintal foodgrain harvested couldn't feed his six-member family through the year. The situation is different now.'
A heritage bio-reserve
The hard work and traditional agricultural techniques of tribal farmers such as Pradhani and Jani have helped put Koraput on the world agriculture map. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations recently accorded the district the status of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).
Koraput - a highland plateau in the Eastern Ghats - ironically tops the list of poverty-prone and food-insecure districts in Odisha despite its extremely rich biodiversity. According to studies by the Botanical Survey of India and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Koraput is a veritable arbour - with 2,500 species of flowering plants, angiosperms, gymnosperms and ferns. Its agro-biodiversity includes 340 landraces (ancient or primitive cultivated varieties of a crop) of paddy, eight species of minor millets, nine species of pulses, five species of oilseeds, three species of fibrous plants and seven species of vegetables.
For Dr M.S. Swaminathan, considered the father of India's green revolution, this ancient reservoir of biodiversity is testament to the wisdom of local farmers. “These farmers are the pride of our nation. Their farming practices are more than 3,000 years old and they have been able to conserve genes, seeds, grains and water, and fight against hunger and food insecurity by using traditional practices,” he says.
