Draught animal power in mountain agriculture: Management scenarios in the Indian central Himalayas

Abstract

This paper critically examines draught animal power (DAP) management scenarios in mountain agriculture. The evidence is based on the intensive study of randomly selected 404 farms of different holding sizes in 12 villages situated at 3 altitudinal ranges in 4 different types of farming systems/ agro-ecological zones in the Indian central Himalayas. Bovinedominated herds are found in the Shivaliks/ foothills and the middle mountains and ovine-dominated in the high Himalayas. The greater Himalayan zone is ideally a livestock-based farming system, whereas, in the lower zones, cropping is the predominant land-based activity. Agriculturally transformed areas prefer buffaloes, whereas traditional areas rely largely on cattle. Less than required size of bullocks per household, except in the traditionally managed middle mountains, suggests that sharing or hiring of DAP takes place. The bullock holding size in the Shivalik hills and middle Himalayas (traditional) increases with the size of landholding up to medium size but records the least at the large holding level in the former zone and decreases slightly in the latter. In the 2 other zones, nevertheless, it increases constantly with the size of landholding. The degree of inaccessibility or remoteness is a powerful factor affecting population, size and density of draught animals. Traditional agriculture together with remoteness promotes an.independent DAP system, encourages sharing, raises the sharing-hiring ratios, and strengthens hiring-out management in the greater economic interests of all holdings and bullock owners. The transformation in agriculture, on the other hand, does just the reverse, apart from encouraging the hiring-out system in favour of the bullock owning farmers. Caste system in the mountains is also a factor affecting DAP use in agriculture. High-rank Brahmins in Kumaon region, for example, regard ploughing offields themselves below their dignity. Special feeding and care to the work bullocks is provided during ploughing season. Almost all male calves not to be used for breeding are castrated between 2.5-4.0 years. Not all draught animals in the greater Himalayan villages, however, are essenrially castrated. Nose-ringing is carried out between 2.5·3.0 years of age. A farmer-trader-farmer' system of sale and purchase of draught animals came into operation in recent years. However, farmer-middlemen-farmer exchange of bullocks is still more popular in the region. Main resource-and management-related constraints to DAP development have also been looked into.