From pomegranates to pineapple, fish to “power-packed” rice – how a Telangana Koya tribal woman embraces agricultural diversification and organic farming. Doing so has not just helped her fields yield a better income, but improved her land, her health and tastebuds too.
On a sunny afternoon in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Modium Ramulamma is redefining drip irrigation. The 30-year-old belongs to the Koya tribe in a village called Dibbagudem within Telegana’s Aswaraopeta block.
As she talks to Village Square about her journey into natural farming, she tenderly ensures her young plants receive the perfect amount of water – just enough to thrive but not so much that the roots clog and the plants die.
For this she uses old saline bottles to carefully drip the right amount directly into the roots of the plant – similar to a doctor administering fluids into a patient’s bloodstream. She has fixed wooden stakes adjacent to the saplings and adjusts the valve flow after putting water in the bottle, which has an opening from the rear side. This design allows for a steady, controlled delivery of moisture to her growing plants, which have become – thanks to her care – nurtured.
Ramulamma grows around 60 types of plants around a small pond in one of her fields. On another two acres, she grows maize. She also grows indigenous varieties of paddy supporting her commitment to traditional agriculture.
That’s not all.
She also cultivates fish in her pond. Her efforts yielded significant returns – she received Rs 15,000 for her fish alone. This year, she has once again stocked her pond with fish, believing in diversifying her agricultural output and enhancing her income potential.
“I stopped getting dependent on the market. What I want, I grow and it is definitely better than the chemically grown food and vegetables,” Ramulamma said.
Earlier, I found it hard to tell the difference between natural food and food with chemicals. After I started growing food naturally, my tongue tells me that I’m eating nutritious food,
This journey into farming diversification has been possible because of her hard work and the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Through its agroecology-based programme JIVA, supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Ramulamma received the resources and training necessary to establish an eco-friendly farm pond. NABARD worked with the Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN) to teach her how to prepare bio-inputs for the crops.
“They’re encouraging me and that’s why I’m getting an additional income,” Ramulamma revealed. “Last year, I produced 13 quintals of Navara rice and sold the lot out in the rural market for Rs 2,60,000,” she added.
Also growing in her field is Burma Black rice that creates a purplish-black patch at the centre of the red soil, making the field appear more aesthetically appealing than those of the neighbours. The rice has anthocyanin and antioxidant content. “These prevent cancer,” Ramulamma said to Village Square.
Another nutritious, “power-packed” rice is Siddhi Sannalu, which is not only rich in protein but also boasts dietary fibre and cancer-resistant properties. This quality of rice is an immunity booster and helps increase haemoglobin, according to a research paper by Care Hospitals.
“My paddy has over 50 tillers whereas chemical ones only have around 20. That is because my rice stays in the field for a longer period,” she specified.
Some of the other crops she grows are radish, tomato, beans, sapodilla (chiku), pomegranate, pineapple, banana, jamun, dragon fruit, guava, pumpkin, drumstick and other leafy vegetables.
“Earlier I had to buy pesticides at each stage of crop growth. Now, with the use of natural fertilisers, my dependency on chemical-based pest control measures has reduced. Back then, I was always anxious about what to provide to the crop and at what time,” she recalled.
“All this (the need for pest control) has been taken care of by the Ghana jeevamruth, and other manure, which I prepare myself,” she said. Ghana jeevamruth is made by collecting cow urine. Ramulamma sells cow urine to the organic farmer for Rs 5 a litre and to those not practising natural farming, she gives it for Rs 10 a litre. “That discount is to support the farmers who are growing crops organically,” she stated.
Ramulamma also insists that working to save the environment is a farmer’s responsibility, pointing at the soil on her land which she has prepared using the pre-monsoon dry sowing method (PMDS). It is a system of sowing, tilling and tending the land wherein the farmer grows crops before the monsoon. Ramulamma will use paddy straw, dried leaves, groundnut shells, paddy husk and other crop residue to mulch them in the soil at a later stage.
“In fact through the JIVA project, I got to know that food grown chemically was causing health issues and malnutrition. After consuming natural food, my health also has improved,” Ramulamma admitted.
“I’m doing what my grandparents used to do. After reversing the process of chemical farming, what’s left is natural. We were organic farmers. We were people of the forest. We were people of nature. We will continue to be so,” she said emphatically.
Ramulamma believes that plants are not stupid. Soil and plants have intelligence. “You sow what you reap,” she asserted while quipping, “If you use chemicals to grow your food, you will also get chemicals to eat.”
Her baby plants have got enough water now. She is closing the valve. The sunny afternoon has turned into a reddish evening with clouds floating in the sky. It will rain tomorrow and Ramulamma won’t need to water her plants.
“When you take care of nature, nature takes care of you.”
The lead image on top shows tribal farmer Modium Ramulamma standing by her fish pond around which grows 60 types of plants. (Photo by Amir Malik)
Amir Malik is a freelance journalist with over five years of experience. A curious explorer, he focuses on understanding emotions, colours, sound and nature. Guided by grief and grounded by celebrations, he continues his journey. Though he’s still searching for the perfect shoes, he hasn’t stopped walking.
