Tribal Crop-Livestock Systems in South-East India

Contents: Foreword. Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Koraput District--a profile. 3. The tribal life: forest, food at home. 4. History of agriculture in Koraput. 5. Agro-biodiversity and Koraput. 6. Some tribal groups of Koraput and agriculture. 7. Bhattra. 8. Kondh. 9. Gutob Gadaba. 10. Bondo. 11. Dongria Kondh. 12. Koya. 13. Sabara. 14. Poraja. 15. Sano Poraja. 16. Bhumia. 17. Tribal Magico-religious rites in agriculture. 18. The tribal cooperative agriculture labour. 19. Indigenous knowledge system. 20. Agricultural implements used by the tribal communities in Koraput Region. 21. Tribal women at home and in agriculture. 22. Tribal community ethics and the modern world. 23. Farming systems and Koraput District. 24. Backyard farming system among tribal groups. 25. Life support crop farming system. 26. Scarcity period and food resources. 27. The famine saviour plant system. 28. Slash and Burn (Podu) cultivation system. 29. Intensive agriculture by Kolnara Kondhs and Malis. 30. Biological control in tribal farming system. 31. The crop and livestock losses due to wild animals and accidents. 32. The agriculture systems: transition, adoption trend. 33. Characteristics of animal husbandry in tribal farming system. 34. Cattle and buffalo in tribal farming system. 35. Sheep and goat in tribal farming system. 36. Tribal pig rearing at home. 37. Village poultry in the tribal farming system. 38. Tribals and duck. 39. Feeding and grazing of livestock in tribal villages. 40. Tribal animal husbandry system: transition trend. 41. Ethno-veterinary medicine. 42. Threshold levels of livestock and poultry in tribal farming. 43. Common plantation crops grown in Koraput District, Orissa. Bibliography. Index.

"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 ethnographic 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." (jacket)