A dimension within Agricultural Livelihoods
Efforts to reintroduce and revive traditional millets and ancient grains through farming and seed collection.
149 voices speak to this
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Neutral
Overall Community Sentiment
My name is Nabeshwar Mallick, from Salaguda block village. It would be good if traditional millets like Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jona, which were grown before, are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Dineshwar Mallick, from Salaguda Block. It would be good if the Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (traditional crops) from earlier times are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Kal Mallick, from Salaguda block village. It would be good if the Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (crops) that were cultivated previously are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Manas Mallick, from Salaguda block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia (millet), and Jana, which were cultivated previously, are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Raind Mallick from Salaguda block village. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana, which were cultivated previously, are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Gangadhar Mallick, from Keramaha block village. It would be good if previously cultivated crops like Kangu, Kuheri, and Mandia are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Bishi Mallick, from Salaguda village block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (crops that were cultivated previously) are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Ashok Mallick, from Salaguda village block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (crops/varieties) that were previously available are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name: Malaya Mallick, Village: Salaguda. It would be good if traditional grains like Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, Jona are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Saraj Mallik, from Keramaha block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, millet, and jowar, which were previously cultivated, are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Kaushik Mallick, from Keramaha village block. It would be good if the previously available Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana crops are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
I am Mrs. Aparna Pradhan from Lamungia village, Gram Panchayat Manikeshwar, Kandhamal district. I want to bring back the ancient crops/millets Kujuri, Mandia, and Kangu.
— Sudhakar Pradhan · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Ramesh Mallick, village Salaguda Block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (grains) that were there previously are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
His name is Tahari Mallick, from Salaguda village. It would be good if traditional grains like Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana are brought back now, as they were previously.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Ananta Mallick, from Salaguda Block village. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana, which were available before, are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Labaraj Mallik, village Keramaha Block. It would be good if the Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (crops) from before are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Diprasa Kandha. Village Mandipanka. And Panchayat Bamunia, Block Karimundi, District Kandhamal. I have become aware of traditional farming. I want to preserve traditional seeds and do more traditional farming for my family.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Ashish Pradhan, village Bamnipanka, Panchayat Bamnia, Block Jharimunda, District Kandhamal. I want to make society aware that by collecting traditional seeds and by doing traditional farming to a greater extent, so that the fertility of the soil can always be maintained. I will make society or the people aware.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Harihar Dalbehera. Village Kinarigaon, Gram Panchayat Bamunigaon, Block Jarimbali, District Kandhamal. I am a farmer. I wish to collect traditional seeds and do more traditional farming. And I will also make the society aware to do more traditional seed farming.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My name is Ganeswar Mallick, from village Keramaha. Earlier, people used to talk about Lanka Mandia, Kueri, Kangu, Jhana. If cultivated now, it would be beneficial.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Sahadev Mallick, village Keramaha Block. It would be good if the Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (grains/seeds) that were previously available are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Trinath Patra. The village is Pinargaon. Panchayat Pamunia, Block Dharimali, District Kandhamal. I am farming to collect traditional seeds and do traditional farming in a larger quantity. And I will also make society aware so that everyone can do traditional farming in a larger quantity.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
Pradeep Malik is speaking. And my Salaguda Panchayat. And the programs we had in the past, meaning, in the past people used to eat ragi, ragi kudi and this wild yam, they used to eat all these. We are trying to bring this cultivation back again. It would be good if this came back.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sabjan Mitra Pradhan. My village is Dibaoala. My Panchayat is Godimunda, and my Block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to cultivate and live off queer, died, and mandia (millet). In today's time, we don't get those seeds. That's why we can't even cultivate. If we get seeds from the old times, we can cultivate and live.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Birajee Mallick, from Keramaha village in Purbaru Block. It would be good if Kangu, Kuheri, Mandia, and Jana (grains) are returned now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sukanti Pradhan. My village is Lambakupa. GP is Pikorodi. Block is Tikabali. District is Kandhamal. In our rural areas, the main food items that were cultivated, such as ragi, millet, maize, black gram, and green gram, did not require fertilizer. That's why our ancestors lived for a long time. Currently, because we are not cultivating our traditional food seeds, many kinds of diseases are occurring. So, if we can get traditional food and seeds from the government, then we can return to our previous state.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Ranjith Mallick, village Salaguda block. Previously Kangu Kuhuri, Mandia, and Jana were there. It would be good if they are brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Nabeshwar Mallick, village Salaguda block. It would be good if Kangu Kuheri Mandia Jona, which was there before, is brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Ashadh Rahit. I see that traditional farming is currently going to be planted. But I hope that by collecting traditional seeds, I will cultivate more, and I will make everyone in our village aware that by doing traditional farming, everyone can be active.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
My village is Madipanka Panchayat, Bamua Block, Daringbadi, Kandhamal District. I feel that the traditional farming methods our ancestors used, without using fertilizers, yielded more crops. Now, even with fertilizers, the yield... I am expressing my wish.
— SUBASH SABHASUNDAR · Gajapati, Odisha
Name Upendra Mallick, village Salaguda block. It would be good if Kangu Kuheri Mandia Jana, which was there before, is brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Biru Mallick, Village Salaguda. We prefer ragi, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, and perahi.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sudu Mallick, from Keramaha village, Baliguda block. If we take a loan from the government, we would buy and sell Khali, Thul, Mahul, Mahua seeds, and Jhuna.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sanjukta Digal. My village is Kamba Naju, GP is Pikarudi, Block is Tikabali. Earlier, we used to get all these things like Mandia, Deddy, Arka, Chana, Makka. And nowadays, we don't get seeds. And our body, our body is also getting very bad. Because now we are only eating processed food. That's why, if we get the old traditional seeds, we want to cultivate and keep our body healthy.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Prashant Mallick. We like Malesikia, Kuheri, Mandia, Kangu, Perahi millets.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name Krishna Mallick, village Salaguda block. Earlier, Kangu Kuheri Mandia Jan, it would be good if it is brought back now.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
Name, Sudhir, Baliguda Block. Currently, food items include Mandiān, Kuari, Kangu, Tankujau. It would have been good if the cultivation of these food items had been restarted.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Subeshwar Mallick, from Satungia village, Baliguda Block. If we get a loan from the government, we could buy and sell Kholee, Thul, Mahul seeds, honey, and resin.
— Manu Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
My name is Sabita Pradhan. My village is Ghosaguda. The block is Tikabali. In earlier times, we used to cultivate in the forests. And we used to cultivate millets, corn, black gram, and horse gram. We used to cultivate all those. Fertilizer was not even needed there. And even if we want to cultivate now, we are not getting seeds. That's why we are requesting the government that if they provide us with seeds, we will be able to cultivate and sustain ourselves.
— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha
Hello everyone. I am Sanjay. I am a farmer from Gani Gram Panchayat, Tikapali Block, Kandhamal District. I farm using traditional methods and I also save the seeds for the second crop. I also cultivate the second crop in un-irrigated land, from which I benefit greatly. If this process continues, many farmers in my village will also benefit. So the government should give importance to this. All farmers should be able to cultivate a second crop, so please take concrete action for that. Thank you.
— Sanjib Digal · Kandhamal, Odisha
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.

A Balangir resident cultivates their land with ancient wisdom, dreams of opening a fancy store with a loan, reflects on their unique tribal identity and ancestral jungle, and envisions their village t

Farmers in Kandhamal advocate for restoring traditional, organic millet cultivation to improve health and revitalize local food systems.

A resilient village woman nurtures her family and community through traditional farming, future planning, and the strength of women's voices in Sundargarh.

Farmers in Kandhamal, remembering their ancestors' wisdom, strive to revive traditional millets and organic farming practices, ensuring a sustainable future rooted in their heritage.
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.