The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Tribes revive forgotten farm practices

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Saturday, Oct 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Tribes revive forgotten farm practices

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

They are working together to fill the void created by tenant farmers

They prefer only paddy or less labour intensive crops that involve very little investment
A tribal farmer had over 60 acres of land in his possession

— PHOTO: G.N.Rao

Changed scenario: Konda Reddy farmers tilling their lands together as the non-tribal tenants make a retreat from the Polavaram- affected areas.

VELERPADU ( Khammam dist): The tribal farmers are out to revive their forgotten farm practices in hope of reaping what could be the last of their harvests. They are now working together to fill the void created by the tenant non-tribes who had for long been tilling their lands paying paltry sums as rent. Now that the agriculture lands in villages such as Koida and Katkur are facing the risk of submergence along with the habitations, the tenant farmers are making a retreat. Their tractors are missing from the fields.

The tribal farmers were left with no other option but to shoulder the task of cultivating the lands on their own. Habitations in the vicinity of Velerpadu witness a flurry of activity. They came together in a rare show of unity and opted for community farming to offset the impact of the exit of the non-tribes. They teamed up in smaller groups and shouldered the task of ploughing and while their women do the transplantation.

Crop loans

The tribes preferred only paddy or less labour intensive crops that involved very little investment. The banks are no longer giving crop loans in the Polavaram submergence villages. The private money lenders proved to be much more tight-fisted than ever. They lend at a high interest rate only against pledge of gold and silver. Unlike the non-tribal farmers, they are not going in for high value crops such as Virginia tobacco.

Over 200 non-tribal farmers who came here decades ago from far off places such as Karamchedu, Ongole, Guntur, Tanuku and Rajahmundry took possession of the tribal lands paying paltry sums as rent. There was a blanket ban on sale of these scheduled area lands. Hence they made no attempt to buy the lands. The tribes with large holdings – ranging from 10 to 60 acres found it more remunerative in leasing out their lands.

A tribal farmer at Burratogu village in Velerpadu mandal had over 60 acres of land in his possession. Much of his land was in the enjoyment of the non- tribes for long. But the tenant farmers did not renew the lease as the government paid him compensation of Rs. 64 lakhs recently. He is entitled to “land for land” compensation only for an extent of 6.10 acres. He got monetary compensation for the rest.

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