Members of the Kattunayakan settlement at Cheeyambam in Wayanad have become self-reliant, thanks to the Wadi (orchard) programme implemented by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with the support of NABARD.
The Kattunayakans, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, are traditional forest dwellers. As many as 302 families of the settlement got two acres each under the Forest Rights Act in 2010, but their crops were usually blighted by pests and diseases. Earlier, they earned a living by collecting and selling minor forest produce.
The MSSRF had implemented many projects in the village so that the residents take to agriculture. Reduction in distress sale was an important change brought in the village, says N. Anil Kumar, Senior Director, MSSRF.
The major crops included coffee, pepper, ginger, and turmeric, but the predicament of the tribal farmers forced them to sell their produce even before harvest to middlemen.
“We encouraged them to take up intercropping as an additional income generation activity and provided seed material,” Dr. Anil Kumar said adding that it stood them in good stead in lean periods between major crops.
The residents were trained in modern agricultural practices and to make value-added products from their crops. Linkages established with buyers within and outside the district fetched them good prices for their produce.
Another major activity was digging of two ponds for increased water availability, said Bolan, president of the village planning committee of the settlement.
“We had to wait for water tankers to get drinking water till then,” he said. The interventions such as rain pits, trenches, and earthen bunds in the village changed water availability for the better, he added.
“Kyasanur Forest Disease, also known as monkey fever, is a threat to the tribesmen during summer and as many as 13 members have died of the disease in a few years. However, the disease was kept at bay at the settlement after adopting remedial steps with the support of the Health Department,” said Joseph John, scientist, MSSRF.
The MSSRF had spent ₹1.35 crore for the project so far. The project had helped the community avail themselves of many projects from government, including construction of houses, toilets, and electrification, Mr. John said.
