The interlinkages between pastoralism and agriculture have the potential to play a key role in transitioning to a green, environmentally sustainable and global economy. Examples of pastoral systems across the country provide an understanding of their knowledge systems in the management of natural resources, adapting toward local climatic conditions, and the economic and ecological value created from the livestock manure in enhancing soil fertility.
Agro-pastoral systems across India through time immemorial have shown their interconnectedness with ecology, the livestock breed emerged as a subsistence form of economic arrangement. The nomadic pastoralists across the country have intertwined with the farmers for sustaining the agricultural as well as the traditional pastoral occupation. The herder and farmer’s mutual relationship has evolved to benefit the local economy, the livelihood opportunities for the farmers and the pastoralists and is environmentally sustainable.
Scenarios of the Mutual Relationship
The spatial and temporal availability of grazing resources coupled with erratic weather events has pushed in for mobility amongst pastoralists across the country. The transhumance form of pastoralism as practiced in several Indian states has shown a reciprocal relationship with the farmers. However, over the years the practice has been fading off due to commercialization of agriculture across the country.
Sharing a Common Bond: Anecdotes from Western India
In Gujarat’s Saurashtra region the pastoralists locally known as Maldharis– Bharwads, Rabaris travel to different parts of the state in search of fodder to sustain their livestock, enroute to the grazing resources they are also dependent on the farmer’s land for fodder. Raja Bhai, 37, a goat and Halari donkey breeder travels from his native village in Khambhaliya Block, Dev Bhumi Dwarka to Upleta block, Rajkot after Diwali. He explains, “Mostly when Kharif cropping season ends, the farmers require labourers to clean the farms after the cotton is harvested, while our livestock requires fodder. We therefore have this agreement with the farmers that we clean the land and provide them fallow land to start with the new cropping season”.
Bhupat Bhai Boondiya another Maldhari from Rajpara Village of Dwarika travels around 200 kms from October end to June. He explains the economics behind the relationship – “Usually any labour to clean farm off the cotton plants charges Rs 350 per day and works for 5 hours each day. Any farmer owning at least 5 acres of land incurs around Rs 3500 with 10 days of efforts to clean and prepare the farm ready for the next season. Our goats and sheep graze all day long. Women members of our family bundle up the plant once it grazes and we charge nothing for this”.
Not only does the migratory pastoral community understand the importance and need for such a relationship to sustain economically; they do understand the bond will help to maintain a cultural relationship which is viable for the environment. Bhima Bhai, a farmer near Seth Vadala village, Jamnagar asserts, “I allow 5 such Maldhari families to stay in my farmland, and this has always been pursued by my family”. He comments that this land belongs to everyone using a phrase- “ Aa zameen Gopal ki” [The land belongs to Lord Krishna]. Bhima Bhai adds that not only do the goats and sheep graze the farms but they provide manure to help in sustaining the value of the soil. He further explains that the Maldhari members provide them goat milk as and when required by the farmers.
The unique bond of farmers and pastrol communities requires much recognition than ever before.
A case of trust from Andhra Pradesh
Such examples of mutual trusts were also shared by the farmers of Raptadu mandal of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the sheep rearers from the Kurumas community, visit the farmer’s land in search of fodder. In lieu, the farmers provide them food, shelter and offer clothes. Such visits and stays in the farmer’s land are usually celebrated by the farmers like another festival, where they prepare Korralu [Foxtail] payasam which is offered to the pastorals on one of the days. In places like Anantapur which are subjected to extreme climatic conditions, such relationships not only secure the small farm holders but secure the livelihood of pastoralism as an occupation.
Narratives from the Himalayas
Jaunsar-Bawar’s pastoralists traverse vertically in search of summer and winter pastures for their livestock, displaying a unique bond not only with the farmers but also with the artisans of the regions. The Khas pastoralists of Jaunsar-Bawar of the Western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand are mostly rearers of sheep and goats. They are dependent on apple and apricot orchards during the harvesting season of September-October. Often these rearers travel to farmer’s land and would allow the livestock to graze. While on the land, they shear the animals as well, in order to prepare for the winters. Meanwhile, the Khas (Pastoralists) keep some of the sheared wool, while giving some to the Koltas (Artisans) to make garments for their personal use and also to sell in the market.
Puran Singh Chauhan, a local resident of Gorchha village in Jaunsar adds, “One or two members of each family here are still into pastoralism. But, with an increase in cash-based economy and Dehradun- Vikasnagar growing, most of the youth have shifted to the towns and the current occupation is dwindling like never before”. He reminisces that the system has not only gone down for the pastoralists and farmers but even the traditional pastoral products like Chaura [overcoat from sheep wool], Khursa [warm shoes from goat wool], Kharsa [mat from goat wool] are no longer in use.
Such changes have undermined the traditional culture around agriculture which was much more closely synchronized with the local ecosystem. Farmers in the terrain are now finding it difficult to find organic manure and are forced to apply chemical fertilizers in their farms and orchards. This is causing long-term damage to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem of the region.
Need for Recognition and Linkages
As we see the momentum towards natural farming has increased in a few states, linking the pastoral communities with the farmers will benefit both economically and environmentally. The linkage can help the farmers access organic manure at a local level and also supplement the income of pastoralists with the exchange of manure with farmers. These examples of pastoral systems across the country provide an understanding of their knowledge systems in the management of natural resources, adapting toward local climatic conditions, and the economic and ecological value created from the livestock manure in enhancing soil fertility.
The interlinkages between pastoralism and agriculture have the potential to play a key role in transitioning to a green, environmentally sustainable and global economy. There is a need to develop systems and policies that can strengthen the pastoral community who are always on the thin line of vulnerability and with extreme uncertainty.
Rituja Mitra and Sahith
Rituja Mitra
Email: rituja@sahjeevan.org
Sahith
Consultant, The Economics Centre of World Resource Institute, India.
