Tribal Crop-Livestock Systems in South-East India

Tribal Crop-Livestock Systems in South-East India

Das Kornel

The book, Tribal Crop-Livestock Systems in South-East India, as the title implies describes the related practices followed in undivided Koraput district, in Orissa. There are 51 different communities who live here. They survive largely on marginal farming and animal husbandry.

The study covers communities living in different territories, hills and plains, some very primitive and some slightly advanced. The tribal groups studied are Bhattra, Kondh, Bondo, Dongria Kondh, Koya, Sabara, Bodo Poraja, Sano Poraja and Bhumia. A short enthnographic note and agriculture practices of each of these tribes has also been included. The magico-religious rites associated with agriculture, as well as the tribal cooperative agriculture labour, where still it exists, have been described.

The tribal crop-livestock farming system has been classified and described under sections, such as Backyard Farming System, Life Support Crop Farming System, Scarcity Period and Food Resources, Famine Saviour Plant System, Slash and Burn (Podu) Cultivation System and Mixed Species Animal Husbandry System. The successful intensive agriculture system
followed by Kondh under rain fed condition and the vegetable grower Mali under limited land and irrigation facilities have been described. The understanding of the existing system can be utilized to build sustainable food production system for those who are in a transitional stage of development.

The author has tried to present the book, as a practical manual through many interesting photographs and sketches and changes observed during the last three decades in agriculture and animal husbandry in the area has been documented carefully.

Das Kornel, presently Programme Coordinator to Indo-Swiss NRM Project in Orissa, had served for ten years as DANIDA Advisor for Integrated Livestock Development Project, working in tribal villages of Koraput district in Orissa.

ISBN  81-7304-668-9    2009   288p.   Rs.725/ pounds 45

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