Feeding the Karnali

PICS: GORAKH BISTA

Millet, buckwheat and Cheeno grows aplenty in Simikot, Humla

Despite decades of food assistance from the government and aid agencies, little seems to have changed in the Karnali region. Food shortages are as bad as ever, and there are claims that dependency on subsidised rice has meant what little was left of cultivation has faltered. The general impression is that the dry and rocky terrain of the mid and far west region cannot sustain wide-scale agriculture and that there is no alternative to trucking in food from the outside. But is this really necessary? Documentary film-maker Gorakh Bista of Srinagar, Humla, doesn't seem to think so.

Karnali already has the crops it needs to feed itself, he says. "If we grow the right crops, there is no reason we can't produce enough food for ourselves," says Bista. He cites the example of Cheeno, or Proso millet, a crop that grows readily in Humla. Cheeno is one of the major winter crops in Karnali but is not as extensively farmed as wheat or paddy. "If we can get people to grow Cheeno instead of the low yielding wheat or rice, there would be enough food for everybody," Bista claims. Resham Amgai, scientist at the National Agriculture Research Council (NARC), cannot agree more. "Cheeno grows well in a dry and cold climate; it does not need much water and can be cultivated from the lowlands to the highlands, making it perfect for places like Humla."

A woman winnows freshly harvested cheeno in Simikot

Crops like Kaguno (foxtail millet), barley, buckwheat, beans and finger millet all grow well in mountain soil, are easily comparable to rice and wheat in terms of nutrition (see box), and have long been the staple of highland people. With proper promotion and wide-scale cultivation, these crops may offer the best long-term solution for hunger in the region. "Rather than spending millions in airlifting substandard rice to Karnali, the government should invest in research and cultivation of hill crops, irrigation and market creation," Bista says. Scientist at the tellingly named Underutilized Crops Unit at NARC, Sumitra Pantha, says, "Millet, buckwheat and beans grow well even in a harsh climate, with limited water and efforts. They are also highly nutritious and can well substitute for rice as a staple."

Buckwheat

But the preference for rice may mean that production of such crops will go down. "Even in Simikot most people would not be able to tell you about Cheeno today. If the trend continues, most of these crops may die out in a few generations," Bista says. His warning echoes the fate of quinoa, which until the colonisation of South America was one of the primary crops of the Incas. Despite having been cultivated for nearly 7,000 years, this highly nutritive crop was derided and its cultivation suppressed by the conquering Spaniards.

Cheeno or Proso Millet

The government's lack of interest in protecting Nepal's hill crops may mean this is not an unlikely prospect. Pantha says that hill crops have long been neglected. The government has only made three varieties of millet available in decades, compared to hundreds of varieties of wheat and rice. The Underutilized Crops Unit under NARC has been collecting local varieties, carrying out studies and recommending varieties of hill crops for commercial release for some years now. Studies on buckwheat, finger millet, Cheeno, Kaguno, barley and amaranth are ongoing.

But the ultimate challenge may be to get the locals interested in these crops. Says Pantha: "In many places we saw people growing millet as fodder for cattle. The government has to introduce policies to prioritise the production and consumption of these crops."

Wholesome

Although looked down upon as lowly food, most hill crops are powerhouses of nutrition. Millet is a good source of iron and magnesium with the highest iron content for any grain barring Amaranth and Quinoa. It has also high protein and carbohydrate content compared to rice. Buckwheat has high levels of protein and the amino acid lysine. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and Vitamin B. Barley is rich in soluble fibre, niacin and iron and is known to reduce cholesterol levels. Amaranth, probably the most neglected of the crops in Karnali, has the highest level of lysine among all grains and a high fibre content.