Wheat and paddy

other food/crops

From historical times, wheat and paddy were the prized crops, cultivated on fertile lands with access to irrigation, and consumed by the elite. The British, through the expansion of irrigation and markets, managed to increase the area under cultivation of these 'Grade I' crops in western Avadh. At the time of Independence, about 40% of the land cultivated in the kharif (monsoon) season had paddy, while about 20% of the rabi (winter) land was under wheat cultivation. During that time, the indigenous paddy seeds - dhaani - were broadcast rather than transplanted, and the rice grains were red or brown. Paddy was sometimes intercropped, and was rarely irrigated, so yields were erratic. In the 1970s, the Green Revolution brought dwarf varieties and transplantation techniques to local farmers, along with borewell irrigation (although broadcasting of dhaani seeds continued in some pockets until the 1990s). Area under paddy cultivation expanded to about 50% of the land under cultivation in kharif in 2000-01. However, sugarcane cultivation has expanded more rapidly, and looks set to overtake paddy cultivation. At present, paddy cultivation is mostly taken up by big farmers with access to the mandi, where they can get the full MSP value for their crop. Until the 1980s, rice was pounded at home, and the level of processing varied. Poor Dalit families retained the bran of red and brown rice, while richer Brahmin families preferred to have the rice pounded till it was white. Elite families did not even consume local varieties, preferring to buy basmati for grand occasions and whiter varieties for daily use. Now, most rural families purchase rice from the market or get it through the government-operated PDS (Public Distribution System). For wheat cultivation, irrigation is a must, and therefore wheat was only grown where there was access to irrigation, such as in the Sarda canal command areas. With the introduction of tubewells and borewells from the 1950s onwards, the area under wheat cultivation expanded, reaching about 75% of the land under cultivation in rabi by 2000-01 (excluding sugarcane). Wheat has largely displaced barley and gram in the fields, and this transformation is reflected in diets. Bejhara ki roti, made from barley, gram and wheat or rotis made from gojai, a mix of barley and wheat, have been replaced by pure wheat rotis.



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हरित क्रांति से पहले भी, पश्चिमी अवध में सिंचित और अधिक उपजाऊ भूमि पर गेहूं और धान की खेती की जाती थी पर यह सीमित मात्रा में थी। स्थानीय धान की प्रजाति को ‘धानी’ कहते थे, जिसके बीज अकेले या अन्य फसलों के साथ छिटके जाते थे (रोपाई नहीं होती थी)। धानी का चावल लाल या भूरे रंग का होता था। धानी असिंचित फसल थी, तो पैदावार हर साल अस्थाई रूप से बढ़ती घटती रहती थी। अवध में अंग्रेजों ने गेहूं और धान को बढ़ावा दिया। खासकर सिंचाई के साधन बढ़ा कर, जिस से गेहूं की फसल को पानी मिल सके। आजादी के समय सीतापुर जिले में 40 प्रतिशत खेती की जमीन पर धान था (खरीफ में), और 20 प्रतिशत (रबी में) पर गेहूं था। ऐतिहासिक रूप से गेहूं और धान को अनाजों में ऊँचा दर्जा दिया गया है। और यह सवर्ण परिवार ही खाते थे। अंग्रेज भी इन्हें ग्रेड 1 फसलें मानते थे। 1970 के दशक में हरित क्रांति के साथ धान के नए बीज और रोपाई की पद्धति अवध में आयी। धीरे धीरे धान का रकबा खरीफ में 50 प्रतिशत हो गया। फिर भी 1990 के दशक तक कुछ इलाकों में धानी का छिटकाव चलता रहा। लेकिन 1990-2000 से सरकार ने चीनी मिलों को प्रोत्साहित करते हुए उन्हें आर्थिक सहायता दी और मिलों ने किसानों को गन्ना उगाने के लिए प्रेरित किया। इससे धीरे धीरे धान की जगह गन्ने ने ले ली है। आज के वक़्त में धान की खेती केवल बड़े किसान जो न्यूनतम दर पर सरकार को बेच पाते हैं, वह ही करते हैं। 1980 के दशक तक धान को घर पर ही कूटते थे। गरीब दलित परिवारों में धान को कम कूटते थे, जिससे लाल या भूरे रंग का ब्रैन का हिस्सा बरकरार रहता था और पोषण बना रहता था। अमीर सवर्ण परिवारों में चावल के दाने को सफेदी लाने तक कूटते थे। सवर्ण परिवार देसी चावल नहीं खाते थे, और त्योहारों या खास अवसरों पर बासमती या सफेद चावल बाज़ार से खरीदते थे। आज कल ग्रामीण परिवार बाज़ार से या राशन कोटे की दुकान से चावल लाते हैं जो अक्सर खराब गुणवत्ता का होता है। गेहूं के लिए सिंचाई अनिवार्य है, इसलिए यह ऐतिहासिक रूप से सिर्फ शारदा नहर के आस पास के इलाकों में ही उगाया जाता था। यह नहर 1928 में सीतापुर जिले के पूर्वी क्षेत्र में बनी थी। 1950 के दशक से जब बोरिंग और ट्यूबवेल आए, तब गेहूं का रकबा बढ़ा। 2000-01 तक यह बढ़कर रबी में 75 प्रतिशत हो गया था (गन्ने के रकबे को हटा कर)। रबी में गेहूं ने जौ और चने की खेती को खत्म कर दिया है। खान पान में भी गोजई की रोटी (गेहूं-जौ का मिश्रण) और बेझरा की रोटी (गेहूं, जौ और चने के आटे का मिश्रण) की जगह अब केवल गेहूं की रोटी ने ले ली है।



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Caste: Savarna

Geography: Fertile lands

From: Tripathi, R.P. and Misra, C.B. 1964. Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Sitapur. Lucknow: Department of District Gazetteers

Caste: Savarna

Geography: Fertile lands

From: Neville H. R. 1905. Sitapur, a Gazetteer being Volume XL of the District Gazetteers of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh

Caste: Dalit, OBC

Geography: All

"We ate less wheat and more jau, Saanwa and kakun."

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Gojai was a mix of jau and wheat. Chamariya gojai, with less wheat and more jau, was consumed by Dalits and the poor, while Rajhatta gojai (more wheat, less jau) was purchased by the rich"

Caste: Dalit, OBC

Geography: All

"Wheat was separated from gojai for guests and weddings"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Women usually wore lehengas but, when making roti, would change into a sari kept aside for that purpose."

Caste: All

Geography: Fertile lands

"Dhaani was black or brown, with a closed pannicle, and required less water"

Caste: Savarna

Geography: Fertile lands

"Wheat cultivation started here after chakbandi. At that time, many fields were levelled. Also, with land now assigned, the big farmers began investing in borewells"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"In 1 bigha, 2 quintals of barley would be harvested; now we get 3-4 quintals of wheat"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Dhaani, especially the red rice seeds, were broadcast. Even with less water, a bigha would yield 2 quintals"

Caste: Savarna

Geography: Sandy or mixed soils

"Our village lands were of two types – on one, only wheat was grown and animals grazed the rest of the time; the other type was 'atari' and any type of crop could be grown"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Desi wheat had small grains, like Arra 21. The pannicles were red"

Caste: Dalit, OBC

Geography: All

"We grew wheat and sold it, then bought jau and Chana from the market as they were cheaper"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"The kan (eye, inner part) of sedha (red rice) was used to treat pechees (diarrheoa)"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Earlier, wheat was ground by hand in the chakiya and stayed cold, now wheat flour becomes hot in the chakki and so doesn't taste as good"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Wheat has made people lazy"

Caste: Dalit

Geography: Sandy or mixed soils

"After I got married and came here 35 years ago, that is when wheat came"

Caste: All

Geography: Canal command area

"Some people in the village used to grow paddy with the canal irrigation, now more grow with borewell irrigation"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"Wheat can be eaten in any season"

Caste: Dalit

Geography: All

"Wheat is 'naram' (soft), 'achhi' (good), 'saaf sudhri' (clean)"

Caste: All

Geography: All

"There is more 'chiknaahat' – glue - in wheat now. It is easier to roll out rotis made of wheat flour"

Time Line
1950s

The Sharda canal was expanded in the decade after independence, and canal waters reached villages in this region. Farmers along the canal, mainly from dominant castes or the richer OBCs/Dalits, switched from mixed crops of millets, pulses and oilseeds to paddy, wheat and sugarcane in the irrigated fields

1970s

After 1970, the Saadatnagar minor canal was extended and reached villages such as Ambarpurva. Farmers along the extension, mainly OBCs and some Dalits, switched from mixed crops to wheat, sugarcane and peas (matar) in the winter crop. As these soils were sandy and canal water wasn't available in the monsoon, paddy was not cultivated

Tubewells were installed in villages such as Sundarpurva to provide irrigation to almost all the village lands. These tubewells ran on electricity and water was available at 10-20 ft. Such tubewells operated successfully for atleast 10 years, and farmers switched from mixed crops to wheat.

As improved wheat seeds as well as Urea, DAP and pesticides began to be supplied at subsidized rates, rich farmers began adopting 'modern' techniques and switched from mixed cropping to wheat, transplanted paddy and sugarcane

1979-80

The severe drought of 1979-80 affected 1,37,492 hectares in Mishrikh tahsil, according to the Sitapur Supplementary Gazetteer of 1989. Many traditional seeds were lost at this time, and the drive towards irrigation increased. To provide relief, the government initiated many public works. Bunding and leveling were taken up, and farmers began growing paddy, wheat and sugarcane in these"improved" fields

1980s

Before the 1980s, most small farmers who cultivated indigenous varieties of paddy (dhaani) broadcast them, and sometimes intercropped with other crops. Gradually, farmers switched to transplanting hybrid paddy and using pesticides to control weeds.

In 1980, during the drought, Brahmin farmers in Sharvanpur installed diesel-operated borewells. Their success drove others to install borewells, and switch from mixed crops to transplanted paddy, wheat and sugarcane

1990s

Private borewells expanded further. In Lakshmanpur, some Yadav farmers had installed borewells in the 1980s but didn't hit water. In 1990, more farmers tried and some were successful. They began growing transplanted paddy and sugarcane

2000s

Plastic pipes, which could be used to transport irrigation water up to a kilometre away, began to be used in the region. This allowed small and marginal farms to be irrigated, and Dalit marginal farmers began cultivating wheat