JOIN USBarter of goodwill and innovation to tide over crisis
Newfound market spaces, expanding backyard gardens, the return of the age-old barter system and innovation in value addition are some of the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown.
Vegetable gardens are a common sight in the backyard of every rural house in the state. Now the area has been increased to reduce their dependence on other villages and urban markets for vegetables. While village markets have benefitted both growers and consumers by balancing demand and supply, some enterprising people have tried preparing herbal products from locally available ingredients. For instance, herbal tooth powders and soaps found a place in the village markets in Umbalmane and Bidaramane hamlets in Uttara Kannada district.
Villages that were cash-strapped due to the lockdown resorted to the ancient barter system and many of them have kept the system going even after 45 days. Several villages in Yadgir, Mysuru, Kolar, Chamarajanagar, Dakshina Kannada and Bagalkot districts are swapping their agriculture produce to other items of the daily requirement. For instance, villagers of Chandalapur in Yadgir district, which is a paddy-growing area, exchanged their rice to get jowar and bajra (Sajje) which are the staple food of this region. Some villagers of Jinikera in Yadgir district sold the sweet potato they had grown in return for jowar.
“The barter system ensured that there was no shortage of food in the village. Though the method of deciding the quantity of produce swapped was not perfect as we lacked the traditional knowledge of barter system, need, trust, support and social consciousness prevailed,” said Vishwaraj Onturu, a lecturer from the village.
Some villages in Mysuru district have also turned to barter system to tide over the crisis. Here, villagers swapped rice for red chillis, ragi for rice and eggs, vegetables for butter, vegetables for chicken and spices, milk to get fodder for the livestock and the like. They have begun cashless trading of almost all essential food items.
Initially, it began in a few villages on forest fringes in HD Kote taluk on an experimental basis and slowly spread to nearby villages like Jinahalli, Kenchalgoodu, Chamahalli, Mandakalli, Kallurnaganahalli, Hunsur, Benkipura in Mysuru district, Halalu in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district and villages near Puttur in Dakshina Kannada. In these villages, the barter is more systematic. For example, a man selling five kg of rice would get ragi worth the same market value and not the same quantity.
Also, the system here has been more successful due to participation of women as they are the ones who know the requirement of the house precisely. “We learnt barter from our ancestors. As children, whenever, we had any product in excess, we used to sell it to get other essential items. Cash is not the most important thing for us. We are satisfied as long as we get essentials to lead our life,” said Mahadevamma of Jinahalli who was carrying ragi in her sari pallu to get vegetables.
Interestingly, people here even bartered labour with goods. Many labourers who helped farmers in their fields got grains and other items as their payment.
“When the nation-wide lockdown was imposed, everything was shut abruptly. There was a kind of standstill and panic, especially among the farmers as there was no market for them to sell their produce and generate income. Many shops were not open and shops selling essential items like grocery ran out of stock due to restriction on transportation. Taking advantage of the situation, shops even shot up prices. Nearby ATMs shut down and cash that people had got exhausted. Also, MGNREGA works had halted and labourers had no work. In such a situation, villagers in Mysuru and HD Kote taluks looked out for an idea that could facilitate people in getting essentials at reasonable prices within the village. It was the barter system which came to the farmers’ rescue during this crisis,” said Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha & Hasiru Sene President Badagalapura Nagendra.
He added the system has been working well here and given a choice, they would like to continue it with some modifications even after the lockdown as it ensures food security and self-sustenance in villages which are increasingly becoming dependent on urban markets.