Moving on from having to eke out a living, Haldikhol villagers have found routes that lead to sustainability and improved lifestyle. The village’s success highlights how crop diversification, supported by government schemes and traditional knowledge, can help change the lives of villagers for the better. Ajit Kumar Panda has the story
Haldikhol, a small village in Odisha’s Nuapada District, has transformed into a beacon of sustainable farming through crop diversification. Almost all the farmers of the village have contributed to this shift. Santosh Majhi, a tribal farmer from the village, cultivates a variety of crops on his six acres of land, one acre of which was granted under the Forest Rights Act. He grows mango, lemon, cashew, and kuler (Bauhinia purpurea), the green leaves of which are consumed, on one acre, dedicates three acres to rice, and the remaining land to millet.
Hemlata Majhi, wife of Habelal, another farmer, is the proud mother of three college-going daughters, and credits her ability to send them for higher studies to the success of her diversified farming activities. On her seven acres of land, Hemlata cultivates cotton, brinjal, chili and cabbage, in addition to 30 mango trees and kuler plants. This variety ensures a year-round income, with profits coming from forest produce like mahua flowers too.
The journey toward self-reliance for Hemlata, Santosh, and 67 other farmers in Haldikhol began two decades ago when they received support through various government schemes. Initiatives like the Integrated Watershed Development Project (IWDP) followed by the Biju Krushak Vikash Yojana (BKVY) helped develop irrigation facilities, allowing them expand their agricultural activities and increase their productivity. Haldikhol now boasts of 14 bore-wells made under BKVY-Deep Bore well Secha Karyakram and 12 wells, enabling year-round cultivation. Kerosene pumps are used for lifting water from the wells.
The village’s focus on crop diversification is rooted in its need for sustainability and resilience. Most of the predominantly tribal 92 households in Haldikhol engage in agriculture, horticulture, vegetable cultivation and the collection of minor forest produce (MFP). The reliance on different sources of income, ranging from crops such as rice and vegetables to forest produce like mahua flowers, char, and kendu leaves, ensures that villagers are less vulnerable to market fluctuations and climate-related disruptions.
“There were 67 households, out of which 61 were tribal, and the rest SEBCs (Social and Educationally Backward Classes). Five of the 67 were landless families, when the intervention started in 2004,” says Amrut Rout, a young man from the village. “NABARD, through the TDF-WADI Programme, provided necessary training, exposure and hand-holding to the villagers, which helped Haldikhol emerge as a village of self-reliance” he adds. Steps such as providing bore-wells with submersible motor pumps, open wells and kerosene pumps were taken up under different schemes. Each bore-well catered to the irrigation needs of five to six farmers.
All the households of Haldikhol, including the five landless ones, have been included in the programmes undertaken in the village. The success of crop diversification is not only seen in farm output but also in how it has empowered families like Hemalata’s, which earlier had to rely on wealthier families for sustenance. Villagers have also created small irrigation sources on their own. Santosh has dug a small farm pond for fish farming and duck rearing. Amrut Rout has one dug well and Hemlata has two.
“One was dug decades ago by us, and another recently by my son” says Ramlila, Hemlata’s 70-year-old mother-in-law. “Those were very difficult times; we depended on well-off people for our sustenance, there was no irrigation, not even a good road” she says. “Now things have changed, we have government support and we have work, our yield has increased, due to which my granddaughters are in college,” she adds.
There are still glitches though. Habelal, who was in Nuapada attending a Gond Samaj meeting when this correspondent visited his home, later caught up over the telephone. He is concerned about the local vegetable market. “Half of my cauliflower crop rotted in the field because the prices dropped. Without proper storage facilities, farmers suffer huge losses,” he shared. This year, he focused more on collecting minor forest produce (MFP), deliberately reducing efforts to waterthe vegetable crops, as prices were falling.
Of Haldikhol’s total area of 251 hectares, 60 to 65 percent is being cultivated while the rest is covered by forest.Mahua, char and kendu leaves grow abundantly, both in the forest and on farmlands. The collection of MFP is largely dependent on the number of family members – the more the hands, the greater the collection.
The people have also turned to non-agricultural activities to supplement their income. Santosh says all his three sons have some work to do. “The eldest and youngest manage the farming. The second one learned to drive and now works as a JCB driver. We also make bricks on a small scale, as the youngest is interested in that business. What we all earn is enough to support our family,” he shares. Santosh proudly notes that he has never borrowed money – not for festivals, medical expenses or weddings. “I remember my father taking loans to support the family when we were kids. Back then, there weren’t many opportunities to earn,” he reflects.
The stories of Santosh and Hemlata are not unique in Haldikhol. Lochan Majhi and Haldhar were migrant labourers until a few years ago, but now they are full-time farmers, cultivating their land year-round. Lochan initially farmed maize for a couple of years but later switched to cotton after his maize yields declined due to foraging by animals and birds. “I earn around Rs 25,000 from cotton every year,” he says.
Millet cultivation, revived through the Millet Mission, has further strengthened the village’s agricultural diversity. Sixty farmers, including Rupsingh Majhi, now cultivate millets like ragi, gurji and suan, supplementing their income and ensuring food security. According to Amrut, who tracks the Millet Mission program, 17 of the 60 millet farmers have sold their surplus ragi in the market. This return to indigenous grains not only enhances soil fertility but also promotes biodiversity, key elements of sustainable farming.
Amrut Rout grows chilies on one acre of land, irrigated by a well and a kerosene pump. This year, he planted 3,800 chili saplings. “I sold about three-and-a-half quintals of chilies,” he says. Amrut also earned Rs 9,000 from cauliflower. He employs a landless family as sharecroppers, splitting the income equally. In fact, all the landless families in the village work on the farms of other households. Another key source of income for marginal farmers and the landless is neem fruits. “Two hours of collection in the morning brings in around Rs. 200 a day, and it continues for two months until the rains come,” say Dingar and Roja, a landless couple.
While challenges remain, such as market fluctuations for vegetables, Haldikhol’s farmers have adapted by focusing on crops and products with consistent demand. The village’s success highlights how crop diversification, supported by government schemes and traditional knowledge, can be a powerful tool for sustainability, self-reliance, and resilience in rural communities.
(The writer is a photojournalist based in Khariar, Nuapada District, Odisha.)
from Webdoux