Interaction with Farmers and village Selection in aspirational districts of Odisha by MSSRF and IISWC team

The project team members of DBT-KISAN sub hub I, MSSRF, Jeypore and along with ICAR-IISWC, Research Centre, Sunabeda visited the three aspirational districts of Odisha, namely Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada during June 2020 and interacted with the tribal farmers to understand the soil type, major cropping practices etc. based on which the villages were shortlisted for implementing the project activities. Subsequently, based on their land landholdings, crops and cropping pattern, agriculture practices, constraints in farming activities, vulnerability and other related issues, 17 villages from the three aspirational districts were selected for implementing the project. The details of the selected villages in each block, demographical information and House listing survey has been initiated in all the 17 villages as mentioned below. 

 

Koraput Block of Koraput District- village details: 

(i) Bariguda, (ii) DangariMaliguda, (iii) Ektaguda, (iv) Gurumaiguda, (v) Janiguda,and (vi) Sundhiguda 

Khairput Block of Malkangiri District- village details:  

(i) Amlabhata, (ii) Badapa, (iii) Kadaguda, (iv) Kandhaguda, (v) KandhaAtalaguda, and (vi) Karadabadi 

Kashipur Block of Rayagada District- village details:  

(i). Anajor, (ii) Gatiguda, (iii) Haridabhata, (iv) Phatagada, and (v) Tulasichhapar 

 

Koraput District: 

Koraput district is situated in the Eastern Ghats of India with great variation in altitudes and is well known for its rich biological and cultural diversity. The district has a tropical climate characterized by hot summer, rainy seasons with heavy downpour and cool winters. The forest type in this region is ‘tropical deciduous’ type and broadly categorized into moist tropical forest and dry tropical forests predominantly with red loamy and red sandy soils. The farmers of Koraput traditionally follow broadcasting method for sowing millet seeds, but in recent years the farmers are adopting improved agronomy practices like System of Millet Intensification (SMI), Line Transplanting (LT) and Line sowing (LS). 

Cropping pattern: 

Three different types of cropping pattern are predominantly practised in Koraput district which are as follows 

1. Pure-sole cropping: rice, millet, horse gram, black gram, cabbage, cauliflower, ginger, groundnut, niger, green peas, potato, maize, onion, garlic, tomato etc.are cultivated as pure sole crops. 

2. Mixed cropping:  

The crop combinations as listed below are mixed and sown  

  1. Black Gram, Red Gram & Millets 

  1. Black Gram, Shorgum, Sessame & Millets 

  1. Finger millet, Little millet, Niger & Black Gram 

  1. Finger miller, Radish, Black gram & Pumpkin 

  1. Finger millet & Little millet 

  1. Horse Gram & Niger 

  1. Brinjal, Marigold, Coriander, Tomato & Spinach 

  1.  Chilli & Mustard 

3. Intercropping: 

The crop combinations as listed below are intercropped  

  1. Rajma & Cabbage  

  1. Beans & Cabbage  

  1. Red gram, Finger millet, Black gram & Barnyard millet  

  1. Rajma & Chillies 

  1. Beans & Brinjal  

  1. Brinjal, Onion & Marigold 

  1. Onion & Garlic 

 

Malkangiri district 

Malkangiri fields situated in the South Eastern Ghat zones are characterized by a warm climate. The soil type is mostly lateritic, red and black with sheet erosion and gullies frequently observed. Most of the farmers follow broadcasting approach and traditional method of cultivation of millets.  

Cropping pattern: Three cropping patterns are practiced by the farmers of this region. 

  1. Mono cropping: 

Paddy, Til seed, Horse gram and some vegetables, etc. 

  1. Mixed cropping:  

  2. Millets and Black gram are grown on the same piece of land 

Intercropping: 

Cashew, Mango, etc. are intercropped with Millets & Til seed are grown along with the above crops  

The seed sowing method here is mainly broadcasting 

 

Rayagada District: 

Rayagada field site located in the North Eastern Ghatzone is characterized by hot, moist and sub-humid climate with brown forests. Lateritic, red and alluvial types of soil, sheet erosion as well as gullies are commonly observed. 

Cropping pattern: In these regions, farmers adopt mono, inter and mixed cropping pattern for cultivating legumes and cereals and horticulture crops in the traditional methods. 

  1. Mono cropping: 

paddy, ginger, groundnut, niger, potato, turmeric & some vegetables. 

  1. Mixed cropping 

  1. finger millet (Ragi), red gram, black gram, cow pea, long bean, groundnut, maize are mixed and cultivated in the uplands. 

  1. Intercropping: 

  1. Major fruit crops like mango, cashew cultivated along with the above crops.  

  2. The seed sowing method here is mainly broadcasting.