Brief Report on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) conducted at Benakanakatti

An effort was made to understand the status of millet cultivation, the extent of utility of the minor millets now and three decades earlier by the rural community n in the village Benakatti of Dharwad district through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA). A team (annexure 1) headed by Dr. Prakash Bhat interacted with the residents of Benakatti village for three non consecutive days on 2nd, 15th and 29th September, 2012. The head master of the high school of Benakatti was kind enough to provide space for us to conduct this important exercise. The details on the outcomes of these valuable discussions are narrated here below. Discussions held on first day (2nd September, 2012): During the discussions, a group of 9 men and 10 women from the village (annexure 2) were present for interaction with the team. This group of 19 consisted mainly of the farmers and farm women. Mr. Anand Chougula, the field officer. SCOPE welcomed the gathering and Dr. Prakash Bhat set the context by explaining about millets and the purpose of the teams visit to the village. The participants shared the following information. Crops grown: In Benakatti, paddy is the main crop since this village is almost on the border of the malnad belt. Cowpea, Sunflower, Mung, Soybean and Jowar occupy the subsequent positions on the Benakatti farmers fields. Millets grown: The participants were shown the photographs of the millet crops Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, Savi (little millet), Navane (foxtail millet). The participants informed the team that these were part of their agriculture but said they never grew the other two Haraka (Kodo millet) and Baragu (Proso millet) even before three decades. They were then requested to rank the cultivation of millets 25 years back. Jowar, Ragi, Navane, Bajra and Savi were the millets that occupied the 1st to 5th rank respectively.

Millets consumed and recipes: They consumed jowar, ragi, savi, navane, bajra in that order which means that they the crops thar grew more were consumed more. Varieties, yield and marketing: i) Jowar: Local varieties were grown earlier. Nandyal white (Biligoni) and Nandyal black (Karigoni), Gattibeeja were predominantly cultivated. During Kharif, Neerajola variety was mixed with ground nut. While Nandyal and Gattibeeja were of 5-6 months duration, Neerajola was harvested in 3 months. At present jowar occupies around 25% of the total cultivated area. Chowri variety of Jowar was invariably used to prepare corns. Now hybrid jowar dominates the farms. Farmers shared that over the last two decades the extent of hybrid jowar cultivation rose slowly. Jowar was consumed more and sold less. It was sold only when it was cultivated more. This happened more often in kharif only. Villagers exchanged jowar with other crop produces and materials. ii) Ragi: White ragi (Dundu ragi) and red ragi were grown 25 years back. Ragi survived even if a couple rains failed. Farmers never sold ragi, which was used only for self consumption iii) Savi: Kari savi and Mallige savi were grown. Since last six years, the participants said, savi is not being grown. Savi yielded on an average 10 quintals per acre. The growers consumed it and never sold it.

iv)

Navane: Halu Navane and Hurupalu navane varieties were being cultivated. The former is white in colour and has no hairs on it where as the latter has hard grains and has hairs.

v)

Bajra: Local bajra varieties were being cultivated which were slowly displaced by the hybrids albeit partially. Some aged farmers said they had also seen red bajra and white bajra types being cultivated.

Recipes: i) Jowar: The recipes they prepared 25 years back from jowar were roti, nuchchu (bits), ambali (porridge), Bana (bits mixed with curds or butter milk and then cooked), Kichdi, balls, Chakli, Sandige, Vada, sweet cake (kadubu), etc. They consumed the tender stalks of jowar just like the sugarcane. Also the tender grains of jowar on the earhead were separated and the burnt tender grains were consumed as Sihitene or belasi. The grains were soaked and seasoned and the vegetable called usali was consumed. During drought. Most of these recipes find place in todays diet as well despite jowar is not being cultivated to the extent it was 25 years back.The villagers consumed jowar and ragi porridge. ii) Ragi: Ragi rotis, sweet cakes, ragi balls, porridge and ganji (pudding) were

consumed. Right now, ragi porridge has remained as a part of their diet to a larger extent than the other recipes. It is invariably fed to the babies even now. iii) Savi: Villagers consumed idli, savi rice, uppittu, rotis. They believed that savi rice gave lot of strength and if consumed ensured people did not feel hungry for long time. Savi was ground and pounded and then mixed with rice, milk and jaggery and sweet pudding (payasa) was prepared. iv) Navane: Navane rice, hurakki holige, chakli, uppittu, laddu were prepared. Now laddus are prepared from rice flour. Also navane floor was mixed in milk whole preparing cheese. v) Bajra: Rotis, Kichdi, Bana are prepared

Millets as fodder: Fodder: i) ii) Jowar: Especially, the Nandyal variety of jowar was fed to the cattle. Ragi: Eldest participant farmers said they used to feed the cattle with ragi bran only during summer and not during rainy season since the cattle found it hard to grind the fodder in the latter season. iii) Savi: In fact the cattle liked savi fodder more than ragi or jowar. Savi was used to cover the fodder stack since it did not hold rain water and drained off, thus protecting the fodder within. iv) Navane: Navane fodder was fed to the cattle 25 years back. Now since its cultivation is almost scarce, fodder is also not available. Navane, lie in many other villages is a medicine for cough (kirunalige). The bone fractures are also treated by using navane. Navane flour mixed with cactus milk is pasted on the fractured part of patients body. The patients were offered navane recipes more to facilitate quick healing. The elder participants in the group were not so happy when they shared that the youngsters of the village go straight to the clinics for treatment now a days and that they seldom listen to the elders advices. An interesting practice was shared which is seen during Deepavali festival. The navane plants are burnt and the cattle are made to walk on the burning plants. People believe that this brings good health for the cattle and prosperity to the family. v) Bajra: The fodder was fed to the cattle 25 years back before they were milked. The cattle were also fed bajra boiled in water for 15 consecutive days after they deliver calf. This practice increased the milk yield. Thus we came to know that the farmers knew bajra was a galactogogue. Now since bajra is not at all grown, all the above are not seen to be practiced.

Festivals, religious and other special occasions: i) Jowar: Jowar stalks were also part of the pooja materials. The earheads of jowar were tied to the festoons (torana).during the Mahanavami festival. The seed drills were worshipped using jowar sweet cakes. During another important festival, Naga Panchami, the jowar corn were prepared and consumed. During especially the naming ceremony, the soaked jowar grains were cooked and consumed as Guggari. Also during marriages jowar occupies an important place, where the women poured the grains into the pouch made by other women by folding their saree at waist height which is locally called Udi Tumbuvudu. During marriages, the villagers had a ritual called haasakki hoyyuvudu, in which, joear grains will be showered upon the bride and the bride groom who will be seated on a blanket (made of sheep wool). Jowar along with maize and paddy are important grains used during Dasara festival. During Deepavali, the villagers prepare a small nest like structure using the leaves of jowar and other crops and keep a lamp inside and then visit 5 houses to perform Arati at their houses to the God. From Sheege Hunnime (Full moon day) to Amavasya (new moon day) they also worship the cattle using this. During Dasara, 5 types of seedlings are grown even now maize, jowar, wheat, bajra,Navane which suggests that out of the five, 3 were and are millets. ii) Navane: During Sheege Hunnime and Kanahabba, the villagers prepare sweet pudding using navane which is popularly called Hurakki Holige. For preparing this recipe they used hurupalu variety of navane. This practice is found to be existent even now. People buy navane to prepare this recipe if they dont have it. Medicinal uses: i) Jowar: The patients suffering from jaundice were usually given sorghum bits (nuchchu) along with buttermilk. This practice is prevalent even now. In case of injuries, only recipes of jowar are given even now. Even during difficult deliveries, jowar roti , kichdi are given to the women along with little wheat avoiding rice totally. ii) iii) Ragi: Ragi was consumed when people suffered from loose motion or dysentery. Navane: Navane was fed to the cattle during calving. Boiled navane when administered helped easy discharge of the placenta.

iv)

Bajra: Despite farmers not growing bajra now, they nevertheless have continued the old practice of preparing bajra rotis during the Sankranti festival. Bajra rotis are invariable part of the festival.

Other uses: i) Jowar: The jowar plants were also used for pandals during festive occasions. They were also used for thatching. The stalks and the residual part of the plant including roots of jowar were used as fuel. Interestingly, the pith inside the stalk of jowar was used to prepare toys like bullock cart, etc. Jowar was stacked at the bottom of the underground storage tanks to control moisture within. Of course the jowar plant parts were also used as raw materials for composting. An interesting practice also prevailed where in immediately after sowing operations concluded, the jowar Guggari was fed to the bullocks. ii) Ragi plant residues were used for manuring.

Millets vs. Pest and diseases: Jowar: Jowar in this village has been attacked by smut and leaf curl diseases. Millets in Mixed /Intercropping: i) ii) Jowar: Benakatti farmers have been growing jowar mixed with tur, mung, matki, cowpea, horse gram, niger and in rare cases with navane. Ragi: Ragi was never grown mixed with any other crop. It was grown on the border of paddy fields after the paddy was harvested. Ragi was grown usually on the hakkala lands where water never stagnated. The farmers harvested maximum of 2 to 3 quintals of ragi from an acre. The participants drew pie charts to depict the pattern of utility of millets now compared to the situation 25 years back.

Cultivation percent NOW Paddy

Jowar Wheat Ragi Navane Savi Bajra

Cultivation percent 25
Years back
Paddy Jowar Wheat Ragi Navane Savi Bajra

From the charts they drew, it was evident that paddy has found more area than two and half decades back. Excepting jowar, all the other millets have taken the beating. Jowar too appears now on a reduced area. Farmers have almost stopped cultivating bajra. Savi is also on the way of disappearing from the farmers fields. There are clear and threatening signs that unless serious efforts are done, millets may soon disappear totally from the farmers fields. While the millets remain a part of several religious celebrations / formalities, the farmers rather purchase the millets but do not grow them.

Annexure 1. 1. Dr. Prakash Bhat 2. Mr. Shivaraj Hungund 3. Ms. Vani Purohit 4. Mr. Umesh Chinchani

List of the team which conducted the PRA

5. WatSan fellows (four in number) Annexure 2 Sl.No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Name S G Rayatappa Gangappa N. Dasanakoppa Kenchappa D Devarahalli Mallayya S Pujar Basalingayya Basappa Kuruvinakoppa Banigayya Shivayya Rasayya Yallavva Ningavva Gutyama Basavva Savakka Neelavva Mallavva Kuruvinakoppa Shantavva Iravva Yaragambalimath Ulavva Yaragambalimath List of participants Gender Male Male Male Male Male Male Male Male Male Female Female Female Female Female Female Female Female Female Female Age 48 60 70 63 80 64 70 77 68 60 60 70 45 60 50 54 55 50 57 Teacher Agricultural labourer Farmer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer 1st day PRA Occupation

Discussions held on Second day (15th September, 2012): The PRA for the second time was organised at Benakatti on 15th September, 2012. Seven male and 11 female participants from the village shared their valuable knowledge. (Annexure) The team that facilitated the first day PRA remained the same. While the first day of the PRA reflected upon the cultivation pattern solely, this PRA, in addition to this aspect, also intended to know the utility pattern of the five millets that find place in the village Jowar, Ragi, Navane, bajra and Savi. They put score 1 for the least / lowest and 5 for the best / highest. Totally seven parameters were decided to be rated by the participants viz. millet as a part of mixed cropping/intercropping, cultivation, as food, fodder, medicine and taste. At the end of the exercise, they finally arrived at the total scores based upon which rankings were given to all these millets. Jowar: Out of the five millets that were grown in the village, jowar seemed to be the dominant one. It is the only millet crop that has sustained its place even after two decades. The advent of hybrid jowar and the market price that it enjoys might be the reasons for this trend. Hence the farmers gave it 1st rank amongst the five millets that are being used by them. Increase in the areas of cultivation of paddy is found to have eaten the space of millets especially the crops other than jowar. Since the other millets are grown less, farmers seem to have been feeding the cattle more jowar fodder than before. During the discussions, it was also found that 25 years back, jowar fodder was the most fed while today, it is replaced by paddy. Ragi: The cultivation of ragi is on the decline. Hence the fodder that was used more to feed the cattle is also being used less. It certainly is being consumed now but not to the extent that it was 25 years back. While ragi ranked third 25 years back, the farmers gave it 2nd rank and thus ragi has overtaken navane now. Navane: Since the use of navane is restricted to festivals and to some extent as medicine, it is ranked 3rd now slipping one rank down. While use of navane 25 years back as medicine for cough, bone fractures, etc was more 25 years back, the participants shared that now the youth straight away approach doctors and clinics for treatment and hence we observe from the table below that the medicinal use of navane also has decreased. Earlier, navane was consumed more frequently but now it seems that the villagers prepare recipes of navane only during festivals and hence as a food navane has got less marks compared to 25 years back. Bajra: It was observed from the marks that the villagers gave to this crop, that there wasnt much difference in the marks they gave for the present status and for the earlier situation. (25

years back). It seems that if bajra finds at least some place in the millet matrix of this village, it is only because of its use in festivals especially the sankranti. Looking to the trend, it appears that villagers may start buying it totally from the market in the years to come. Savi: Two and half decades back savi was being cultivated and hence its fodder was also available for the villagers to feed their cattle. But now savi ceases to be cultivated and thus there does not remain any question of its fodder. In earlier days, breakfast with savi recipes like idli, Uppittu, payasam was very common but now, thanks to paddy being supplied especially through PDS, savi breakfast has been bare minimum. One feels savi in this village could be considered as endangered millet! As for taste the villagers gave highest marks to Jowar followed by navane, savi getting the least marks.

Before 25 Years TOT AL 27 12 14 5 9 67 Taste Cultivat ion 3 4 1 2 Medic inal use 3 Festiv als 5 3 1 Fod der 4 2 1 2 Foo d 5 4 3 2 4 Mixed /Inte rcrop ping 5 Mixe d /Inte rcrop ping 5 Foo d 5 3 1 1 2 Fod der 5 1 -

At Present Festiv als 5 3 1 Medic inal use 1 Cultiv ation 5 3 Taste TOTAL

MILLETS

5 2 3 2 1

Jowar Ragi Navane Bajra Savi

5 2 3 2 1

30 9 8 4 3

Grand Total RANKINGS: Jowar

2. Navane 3. Ragi 4. Savi 5. Bajra

Grand 54 Total RANKINGS: 1. Jowar 2. Ragi 3. Navane 4. Bajra 5. Savi

Savi

Bajra

Pattern of millet use inBenakanakatti Now Pattern of millet use inBenakanakatti 25 years back

Navane

Ragi

Jowar 0 10 20 30

Annexure

List of Participants

2nd day PRA

Sl.No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Name Mallayya S Pujar MahadevapppaDasankoppa RachayyaKuruvinkoppa Basalingayya BasappaKuruvinakoppa ShantammaKambar YallavvaMadivalvar NingavvaMadivalvar GutyavvaKuvunkoppa

Gender Male Male Male Male Male Female Female Female Female Female Male Female Female Female Female Female Female Male

Age 63 48 68 80 64 55 60 60 70 45 75 50 54 55 50 57 45 70 Farmer Farmer

Occupation Agricultural labourer

Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer

10. BasavvaKuruvinakoppa 11. BassappaMadivalr 12. NeelavvaKammar 13. MallavvaKuruvinakoppa 14. ShantavvaDharwad 15. IravvaYaragambalimath 16. UlavvaYaragambalimath 17. GullavvaYergamblimatth 18. DundayyaBellakkinmatt

Discussions held on third day (29th September, 2012): On the third day, 19 villagers (10 women and 9 men) as enlisted in annexure, shared valuable information with the dam team led by Dr. Prakash Bhat. Most of them were the ones who participated in the first two rounds of discussions. The information that the team gathered this time pertained to mapping their village, soil and crop mapping and the festivals that are celebrated season wise. The participants first mapped their village on the floor of a temple. They mapped four tanks of their village Oora Kere, Goudara Kere, Revannavara Kere and Sakkarevvana Kere. Then they went on to map the temple, roads, the two hillocks one to the east and another to the south as well as the forest area. The uplands and low lands also appeared in the map. The group of participants identified the following soil types in their village. a. Red loam b. Marginal soils c. Sodic soils d. Murom soils During the appraisal, it came out that the total land in Benakanakatti was found to be about 1000 acres out of which around 30 acres is occupied by tanks.

Soil types and existing mixed cropping systems: The participants gave information on the millets and soils / areas on which they are grown. In the upland red loams, they grow ragi, jowar, navane (foxtail millet) and savi (little millet). On the marginal soils, jowar is sown. In the low lands, paddy is grown.

Festivals celebrated in the village: Later the team sought to know the various festivals that are celebrated in the village and the millets that are invariably a part of these festivals. The participants listed the festivals, seasons and millets used as follows. Season Chaitra masa (first month of the Ugadi, Navalu Hunnime Hindu year) Vaishakha Jyeshtha Ashadha Shravana Bhadrapada Ashwayuja Basava Jayanti, Akshaya Tritiya Kara Hunnime Mannettina Amavasye, Haalu Hoyyo Amavasye Nagara Panchami Ganesha Chaturthi, Mahanavami, Sheege Hunnime Navaratri, Ayudha Pooja, Dasara, Deepavali (Neeru Tumbuva Habba, Shavige Habba, Amavasye and Padya, on which day, Arati is done to mud statues of pandavas) Kartika Margashira Pushya Magha Phalguna Kartika Amavasye, Gouri Hunnime Hostilu Hunnime / Rande Hunnime, Ellu Amavasye Sankramana, Banada Hunnime / Muttaide Hunnime Bharata Hunnime / Gudi Hunnime, Shivaratri Amavasye, Holi Hunnime Festival/s

Recipes prepared during festivals: Ugadi: Vermicelli, Sweet Pancake, Bhaji (Vada) On all Amavasyas: Bele Kadubu (Dal sweet cake), Bhaji Kara Hunnime: Sweet Cake (Kadabu), Sweet Pancake (Holige consumed with mango pulp) Mannettina Amavasye: wheat), Cucumber seeds Nagara Panchami: Laddu (Tambittu) mostly prepared from wheat and gram and rarely from Navane, Allittu (prepared from jowar pop flour) During Shravana Masa: Almost every day, Huggi (wheat pudding) is prepared. On Mondays in this month, villagers do not consume roti bread. But in other recipes prepared, millets do not find any place. Navaratri / Dasara: Seedlings of Navane, Rice, sorghum, Wheat and Maize are grown on a small mud strip. Twenty five years ago, instead of maize, savi was being used. Sheege Hunnime: Hurakki Holige (sweet pancake), Vade (made of sorghum and Bengal gram) Banada Hunnime: Sweet Cake, Huggi (sweet pudding made of wheat) Sankramana: Bajra roti, Rice dosa, laddus of wheat and gram (Maadli laddu) Deepavali: Sweet cake, vermicelli pudding. On padya, sweet pancake, Chakkuli made of rice Fried Sweet Cake, Bhaji, Sajjaka (sweet recipe prepared from

Other occasions: Whenever a child is born, jowar Guggari (soaked jowar seeds) is prepared. During deaths, like in other villages, navane seeds are used to be dropped while the dead are taken for cremation. For the ritual of Udi tumbuvudu (Women are offered some items by other women, which they accept with part of their saree folded to create a shape of a small basket), especially performed by the parents of the married woman, along with rice, jowar grains are used.

Recipes prepared from millets in the village: Jowar: Roti, Bana (Liquid prepared from pounded jowar), jowar bran, ambali(porridge), jowar balls, sweet cake, bhaji, pop, Talipittu (roti prepared by baking after adding chilli powder, coriander, etc), Kodubale (spicy ring shaped recipe fried in oil) Ragi: Roti, porridge (ambali), sweet cake and ragi ball Navane: Hurakki Holige (sweet pancake), Chakkuli and rice Savi: Rice, Idli and Uppittu Bajra: Roti, rice (fed to the cattle),

Annexure 1 Sl.No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Name Mallayya S Pujar

List of Participants Gender Male Male Male Male Male Female Male Male Female Female Female Female Female Male Female Female Female Female Male Age 63 77 60 60 60 62 80 64 55 60 60 70 45 75 50 54 55 57 70

3rd day PRA Occupation Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer Agricultural labourer

Shivvaya Yaragambalimath Gangapppa Dasankoppa Gadagayya Yaragambalimath Gangappa Jodalli Shantavva Dharwad Basaningayya Narendra Basavanneppa Kuruvinakoppa Shantavva Kammar Yallavva Madivalvar Ningavva Madivalvar Guttevva Kurunkoppa Basavva Kurunakoppa Basappa Madivalar Neelavva Kammar Mallavva Kurnakoppa Savakka Walikar Uluvavva Yaragambalimath Dundayya Bellakkimath