Paddy Rice Cultivation in Chhota Udaipur's Tribal Hills

Chhota Udaipur district's relatively higher rainfall and hill valley terraces support paddy rice cultivation, unusual in predominantly dry Gujarat. Tribal farmers (Rathwa, Bhil, Naikda) cultivate paddy on terraced hillside fields and valley bottoms using traditional varieties adapted to local conditions. Traditional varieties include Jhinkora (a red aromatic rice) and Dubraj-type varieties maintained by seed-keeper families as community heritage. Direct seeding and transplanting are both practised, with transplanting preferred on better-watered valley fields. Traditional rice threshing uses wooden beating drums; winnowing uses bamboo fans. Rice is the prestige food, served at festivals and rituals. Leftover rice is fermented into mahudi (rice beer), an important ritual beverage in Rathwa and Bhil communities. Agrobiodiversity of Chhota Udaipur's traditional paddy is significant: over 50 varieties have been documented by researchers from the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.