Modern vs. Traditional Farming

In the past, farming was done with plows made of wood, but nowadays machines are being used.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Farming with ploughs is no longer seen in our village.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Earlier, we used to farm with plows and oxen. Today, it's the age of machines, and we farm using them. However, we often face economic problems, due to which we have to go to the city separately to earn a living.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Difficulty in obtaining organic food is due to modern food. Farming is no longer done with traditional ploughs because mechanical ploughs are used.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

In the past, even when cows and cattle lived for two hundred years, there were no roads, and traditional farming was practiced. Now, all those things are gone. Now, even farming has AC.

— Kusha Mahakud

Earlier, we used to keep seeds in earthen pots with neem leaves, but now those pots are not available. Their traditional profession is slowly coming to an end, and we are also forced to move towards modernity.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Traditional agriculture

— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha

Future generations will be misguided. For instance, if I have a plow and farming tools, I will do it according to my time and will, and I won't need capital for it. If I don't have these, then I will take the help of machinery, in which I will have to invest capital. Just like that...

— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha

People of earlier times used to do this kind of farming for subsistence, and without water, without chemical fertilizers, and by eating that grain, there was also strength in the body. But nowadays, this urea and DAP fertilizer is causing a lot of harm.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

From the time of our ancestors, they used to cultivate with a plow. Immediately after paddy cultivation, they would grow mustard, groundnuts, horse gram, black gram, and green gram. Our subsequent generations have forgotten this practice.

— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha

We used to plant paddy according to the season in olden times. Now, due to lack of rain, we are cultivating cotton in the fields.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Yes, we practice zero-irrigation farming, but it has reduced a lot, it's not like before.

— Kachala Choudhary

We used to add organic fertilizer to our fields to maintain soil fertility, but today's youth are using chemical fertilizers, and diseases are increasing day by day.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Previously, our ancestors used to farm with cow dung, and now urea and DAP have become common. The crops are growing well, but it's having a big impact on the body.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We farm using the old method.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Producing through traditional agriculture, farming without fertilizer. Various types of fruits, medicinal plants and creepers etc. found in forests are no longer available.

— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, our ancestors used to store grains in mud granaries at home, and there used to be good yields. But now, when we store them in steel granaries, the crops don't grow.

— Hariparkash kharadi · Katarwas Khurd, Udaipur, Rajasthan

They do not practice traditional farming and traditional seed conservation.

— Gopal

Future generations will be misguided. For example, if I have a plough, I will do it according to my time and will, and I don't need capital for that. If I don't have these, then I will take the help of equipment where I will have to invest capital. Just like that......

— Puspanjali Nag

Farming

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Zero-water farming used to be very common, but now it has reduced a bit.

— Kachala Choudhary

They do farming without water, but now it has decreased, it doesn't ripen.

— Kachala Choudhary

Future generations will be misguided. For example, if I have a plough and a plowshare, I will do it according to my time and will, for this I do not need capital. If I do not have all these, then I will take the help of equipment, for which I will have to invest capital. Just like that......

— Puspanjali Nag

Grain used to grow without fertilizer. Use cow dung for farming in the fields; that's where paddy, maize, and all crops grow. Eating all that grain keeps the body strong and vital. Nowadays, even though there is more crop yield, the body becomes weak.

— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our ancestors used to farm with cow dung. And now this urea and DAP fertilizer has become common. This improves crop yield, but it's having a significant impact on health.

— Kamleah Kumar

Nowadays, traditional fertilizers like cow dung and ash are not used in farming. Chemical fertilizers like urea, DAP, and phosphate are being used more. This should not happen.

— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Durusai, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand

The environment was good before, now it doesn't rain on time, due to which farming is not good.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

We cleared and tilled land in the forest to create our farms, and today we continue to cultivate that same land. Previously, we used to plough with bullocks and a plough, but now we also use tractors for tilling. Furthermore, pigeon pea (arhar) cultivation can be done without water.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We have to save our culture, otherwise our future generations will go astray. For example, I have a plow and a ploughshare; I will do it according to my time and wish, and I don't need capital for this. If I don't have all these, then I will take the help of machinery, in which I will have to invest capital. Exactly like that......

— Paradeshi Mirdha · Katarbaga, Sambalpur, Odisha

Our ancestors used to farm with plows.

— Batakrushna Sahoo

But we need to protect the traditional farming that was done before.

— Niranjan Bisi · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

Before, we all used to farm with plows and oxen, and we also threshed paddy with them. Even for irrigation, we used oxen via a Persian wheel.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

My name is Mutiy Pradhan. My Gram Panchayat is Pikorodi. My Block is Tikabali. My District is Kandhamal. Our mothers used to store seeds in the olden days. They would keep seeds in pots near the fire in 'Putra Jakore'. Nothing would happen to them. Today, in today's date, farming is done with fertilizer and pesticides, which is why this year, the seeds cannot last even for a year. That's why we want to live like before.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

Farming and agriculture

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh