ROLE OF INDIGENOUS FOOD CROPS IN TRIBAL LIVELIHOOD OF WESTERN SATPURA IN AKKALKUWA TAHSIL NANDURBAR DISTRICT

Indigenous food crops refer to crops that have their origin in native place. Added to these crops are those that were introduced into the country or any region and are now recognized as naturalized or traditional crops. These crops are produced and found growing in the native place various weather conditions with many found in the wild. They are grains, vegetables and fruit. Akkalkuwa tahsil in Nandurbar district is mostly scheduled tribe population lives about 85 percent of the total population. The Bhil, Pawara and Dhanka Tadvi etc. tribal communities were dependent primarily on their own agricultural produce and a variety of forest based products for livelihood. In this paper has focused on identify different types and importance of indigenous food crops in study area. In the study area, the available cultivable land is less than the forest cover area to the total geographical area and it is about three percent area was under the irrigated. In fact the study area most of the farmers, their cropping pattern was a kharip type, agriculture is mainly depends on rainwater. It may be observed that most of the tribal people has been cultivated the indigenous crops of more, banti, padi, rala, lal jawar, kodra etc., vegetables and fruits. The varieties of millets traditionally produced were locally consumed and were hardly sold. They were primarily stored for food security.