Track 3-1-1: Multi‐Stakeholder Platforms for Addressing Grassland Issues and Sustainable Use of Forage and Grassland Resources
Description
Kangayam grassland is located in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats in South India between the coordinates 77° 17”E and 77° 55”E longitude and 10° 44” N and 11° 03” N latitude. It receives an annual rainfall of 666 mm. The grassland used to a barren land with overgrown until 150 years ago when the ownership of these lands were given to the local people by the British colonizers under land settlement called ayen pillu (remission in tax) and paravu pillu (grazing rent) (Nicholson,1887). The occupancy rights granted to the cultivators encouraged them to invest in the unproductive land over generations, building wells for providing drinking water to animals, identifying and using Balsmodendron berryias live fence (Voelcker, 1893) around the grazing areas, taking a collective decision to discourage goats in the region which damage the live fence etc. Historically, this area does not have communal grazing land as Littlewood (1936) reported that the Dharapuram taluk which lies in the heart of the grassland has no cultivable waste, no communal grazing land and no forest. Yet it was one of the best managed cattle rearing area with an excellent system of mixed farming. The whole of the Kangayam grassland spread over 4000 sq km area now has grazing paddocks of varying size fenced with live fence of Balsmodendron berryi in which a few cattle and 25-30 Mecheri sheep are grazed under rotational grazing system. Soil is broken up once in 4-5 years to take a crop whose success depend upon the monsoon, else they make way for use as fodder for the animals. Reseeding of the grass (Cenchrus spp) is taken up once in 2-3 years to maintain the productivity of the grassland and in several pockets grass is sown with Phasolus trilobus to get nutritious grass-legume mixture to feed the animals. Development of the Kangayam grassland and its sustainable management over 150 years highlights the importance of individual ownership rights over 'the tragedy of commons'. Women play an important role in the management of the grassland and the livestock production activities. The present study highlights the role of women in various activities that are being carried out in this predominantly sedentary pastoral economy.
Citation
Kumar, Anil; Jeeva, J. C.; and Tanuja, S., "Role of Women in Sustainable Management of Kangayam Grassland" (2020). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 8.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/23/3-1-1/8
Included in
Role of Women in Sustainable Management of Kangayam Grassland
Kangayam grassland is located in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats in South India between the coordinates 77° 17”E and 77° 55”E longitude and 10° 44” N and 11° 03” N latitude. It receives an annual rainfall of 666 mm. The grassland used to a barren land with overgrown until 150 years ago when the ownership of these lands were given to the local people by the British colonizers under land settlement called ayen pillu (remission in tax) and paravu pillu (grazing rent) (Nicholson,1887). The occupancy rights granted to the cultivators encouraged them to invest in the unproductive land over generations, building wells for providing drinking water to animals, identifying and using Balsmodendron berryias live fence (Voelcker, 1893) around the grazing areas, taking a collective decision to discourage goats in the region which damage the live fence etc. Historically, this area does not have communal grazing land as Littlewood (1936) reported that the Dharapuram taluk which lies in the heart of the grassland has no cultivable waste, no communal grazing land and no forest. Yet it was one of the best managed cattle rearing area with an excellent system of mixed farming. The whole of the Kangayam grassland spread over 4000 sq km area now has grazing paddocks of varying size fenced with live fence of Balsmodendron berryi in which a few cattle and 25-30 Mecheri sheep are grazed under rotational grazing system. Soil is broken up once in 4-5 years to take a crop whose success depend upon the monsoon, else they make way for use as fodder for the animals. Reseeding of the grass (Cenchrus spp) is taken up once in 2-3 years to maintain the productivity of the grassland and in several pockets grass is sown with Phasolus trilobus to get nutritious grass-legume mixture to feed the animals. Development of the Kangayam grassland and its sustainable management over 150 years highlights the importance of individual ownership rights over 'the tragedy of commons'. Women play an important role in the management of the grassland and the livestock production activities. The present study highlights the role of women in various activities that are being carried out in this predominantly sedentary pastoral economy.
