Rural Food Production

Farming

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Traditional agriculture

— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha

Agriculture farming

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Farming and agriculture

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

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

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

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

— Kachala Choudhary

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

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

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Now, old farming is not practiced.

— Kachala Choudhary

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

I used to farm without fertilizer and with less water. After keeping bajra, maize, and kodo for a year, the maize was running out, but the kodo was not.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, they used to farm with less water and without fertilizer. That crop was market maize; even after keeping it for about a year, the maize would get infested with weevils. But Kodo Millet remains very good for 2 years and does not spoil.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

We farm using the old method.

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

They were cultivating paddy using organic methods or traditional soil methods.

— Gourang Adhikari · Udulibeda, Malkangiri, Odisha

Traditional agriculture and heritage

— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha

We will do farming.

— Manjusha Marko · Dudhi, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Previously, crops would grow without fertilizer. Cow dung was spread in the fields, and then grains were sown, resulting in excellent crops. But now, it seems to grow better with urea.

— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh

Our ancestors used to farm with plows and bullocks. But nowadays, all those things are disappearing.

— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Kalahandi, Odisha

We farm using traditional methods.

— Sunil oraon · Bero, Ranchi, Jharkhand

In our village, earlier, people used to cultivate fields with ploughs and oxen and worked very hard. At that time, they would sow Kodo, Sawa, Medo, and Mizri, and grow them without fertilizer. They used to sustain themselves with that, from which individuals...

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Traditional farming, meaning Yudung, Pandala, Janana, maize, finger millet, and so on.

— James

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

— Kachala Choudhary

Earlier, paddy was not cultivated; instead, crops like millet, maize, and barnyard millet were being grown.

— deena rawat · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, we planted rice because it rained according to the season. Now, we are cultivating cotton because it has not rained according to the season.

— Laba Kumar sabar · Bada Baridi, Rayagada, Odisha

Before, we used to cultivate crops without water: bajra, maize, kodo, mezhri, and arhar (pigeon pea).

— Kamleah Kumar · Ormaura, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

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

— Kachala Choudhary

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

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

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

Future generations will forget the traditional farming methods. For example, if I have a plough and a plowshare, I will cultivate according to my time and will, and I don't need capital for that. If I don't have all these, then I will take the help of machinery, for which I will have to invest capital.

— Kumudini Chhanchan · Bhojpur, Sambalpur, Odisha

My ancestors used to emphasize farming using organic methods.

— Madan Hantal · Pujariguda, Malkangiri, Odisha

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

Can do farming

— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, farming was done using cow dung and goat droppings; that was the fertilizer for the crops, and Kodo millet grew better with it.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our farming activities are affected by a lack of water.

— SUSANTA PATTNAYAK · Adaba, Gajapati, Odisha

I am a farmer. Our father, grandfather, and uncles used to cultivate using traditional methods. They used to farm without fertilizer and without chemicals. And that farming was good for crops like horse gram and ragi.

— Parikshit Majhi