Ramakant Jaiswal and Tiharu Birhor
The Birhor people residing in villages across Podi and Pali blocks of Korba district, Chhattisgarh carry out agricultural activities in their homestead plots and some also have small plots of land. In June and July 2020 seeds of 9 different crops were distributed among 83 Birhor households spread across 10 villages of the Pali and Podi blocks. This was targeted at promoting mixed cropping practices, improving crop and dietary diversity, and strengthening food and nutritional security of Birhor villagers. The seeds distributed included Kodo (Kodo millet), Kutki (Little millet), Makka (Maize), Bajra (Sorghum), Rahar (Piegon Pea), Urad (Split Black Gram), Amari (Roselle hibiscus sabdariffa), Jhunga (cow pea), and Hirwa.
In addition seeds of over 20 different varieties of vegetable seeds were distributed to 150 Birhor families for establishing kitchen gardens in their homestead plots. As a result of the restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic villagers have been facing an acute shortage of a variety of different food items especially those that they used to purchase from local markets. The kitchen gardens are aimed at making available a variety of rich, chemical free, nutritious food to Birhor families from their homestead areas itself, thereby increasing their self-sufficiency in food production.
