“As Aridra Nakshatra (3rd week of June) has arrived,
O dear rain, what shall we sow?
We shall sow sesame seeds, green gram,
In your hope, we will sow.”
With the arrival of the monsoon season, formally known as Mrugasera Nakshatra and locally called Mirugu, poetic symphonies that guide agricultural endeavours appear on the lips of women farmers in Zaheerabad. “When the rains were delayed this year and the temperature was high, the land became dry. We missed the first sowing session in Mirugu. But our songs remind us to sow other crop varieties during Aridra,” shares 70-year-old M Chandramma of Pastapur. She cultivates diverse crops such as sugarcane, red gram, finger millet, foxtail millet and sorghum on her three-acre land. “Even if one crop fails due to excessive or lack of rainfall, the others will live on,” she remarks.
Women in the region prefer the multi-cropping system as it is resistant to climate change and benefits the land through organic methods. Furthermore, it offers advantages for women in agriculture by diversifying income, increasing participation and decision-making, enhancing food security and nutrition, promoting knowledge and skill development, and contributing to social empowerment and recognition. However, there has been a shift towards mono-cropping, particularly focused on cash crops like paddy and cotton, according to G Rajashekhar, Chief of Operations at the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA).
Pentamma, a 65-year-old farmer, hopes for better paddy yields on her previously barren three-acre land this year. “Paddy cultivation was once a sporadic affair, reserved mainly for festive occasions, and even then, not more than an acre of land was dedicated to its growth,” she recollects.
However, due to the simplicity of paddy cultivation aided by machinery, more farmers, particularly men, have shifted to paddy. Until recently, the meals Pentamma served to her family reflected the prosperity of her field, a diverse mixture of pulses, vegetables, millets, and more, she mentions. However, three years ago, she was diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. Though unconfirmed, she believes that the switch to a diet primarily based on rice, as it was the main crop she grew, may have contributed to her health problems.
Dark side of mono cropping
Even though T Mhaisamma of Malkapur village learned about seed preservation, optimal sowing times, the importance of specific crops for soil enrichment and other features of the mixed cropping system from her in-laws, the absence of influence to shift to multi-cropping means that she has to resort to mono-cropping, as has been decided by the senior male members of her family. “We constantly encourage our husbands to return to multi cropping. However, we are mindful that if the crops fail due to wildlife, pests, or if our earnings are insufficient, the blame will be placed on us women,” Mhaisamma says, while embraced by the supportive women around her.
Cash crops like paddy impose high procurement costs, which often result in farmers accumulating overwhelming debt even before initiating their farming activities. The burden of repayment places significant strain on men, leading some to find solace in alcohol.
During a conversation with TNIE, CSA’s Rajashekar said farmers, though aware of the advantages of diversifying their crops, are hesitant to make the shift due to the absence of any Minimum Support Price (MSP) for alternative crops.
A survey conducted by CSA has unveiled that women in agriculture face an augmented burden due to unpredictable climate conditions, which often necessitates frequent changes in crop patterns. In the case of cash crops like paddy, men predominantly utilise machinery for their work, while the labour-intensive task of sowing is shouldered by women.
An expression of womanhood
Despite having irrigation facilities, S Nagamma, a 50-year-old member of Deccan Development Society, has made a conscious decision to embrace organic vegetable farming on her 2.5-acre land. She emphasises that women are often excluded from the farming process, relying solely on machines to till the earth without their involvement. This motivated her to choose organic vegetable farming, as it allowed her to have control over the entire process.
For women farmers, the earth beneath their tired feet feels like their maternal home, signifying their lifelong connection to farming, locals say. “A woman communicates with the land before tilling it,” remarks Chandramma, who has witnessed 70 monsoons. Women engage in agriculture with a deep understanding of the soil’s needs, the harmony with nature, and the nourishment it will provide for their loved ones. Chandramma emphasises that women sow not only seeds but also a thriving village culture, where surplus produce is shared among households, ensuring that everyone has good food to eat.
In contrast, patriarchal tendencies drive men to exploit every inch of the soil, often leaving it wounded by pesticides. In the face of the growing threat of climate change, Chandramma believes that women’s multi-cropping agriculture can serve as the most effective mitigation weapon. “Whatever kindness and care we bestow upon the land will undoubtedly be returned to us in abundant measure,” she remarks.
The International Year of Millets
The United Nations has officially declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, with the aim of promoting millet cultivation worldwide. India, being the largest producers of millets, is actively encouraging their cultivation at both the State and central levels. Telangana,in particular, is making substantial efforts to revive millet farming, which has seen a decline in recent decades. As part of these efforts, the TSAgros recently announced plans to establish around 50 dedicated millet outlets across the State.
(This article is written under the Laadli Media Fellowship, 2023. All the opinions and views expressed are those of the author. Laadli and UNFPA do not necessarily endorse the views.)