Pp0105 Siripurapu D m00337

Pastures & Pastoralism
Published by The Grassroots Institute

Website: https://grassrootsjournals.org/pp
ISSN 2817-3457 | 01(2023) M – 00337 | Research Article | Open Access
The Traditional Sheep Penning System: An

Exploratory Study on Farmers’ Preferences,
Farmer-Pastoralist Relationships and Economics
of Sheep Penning in Telangana, India
Kanna Kumar Siripurapu

South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies, Plot No. 164,
Road No. 6, Vayupuri, Sainikpuri, Secunderabad - 500094, Telangana, India.
Email: [email protected] | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1244-4373
How to cite this paper: Siripurapu, K. K. Abstract

(2023). The Traditional Sheep Penning Penning of livestock especially in the southern Indian peninsula can
System: An Exploratory Study on Farmers’ be traced back to the Neolithic age. The presence of ‘Ashmounds’
Preferences, Farmer-Pastoralist across most parts of the southern Indian peninsula indicates a
Relationships and Economics of Sheep
complex agro-pastoral economy flourishing since the Neolithic era.
Penning in Telangana, India. Pastures &
Pastoralism, 01, 64-92. Doi: Contemporary studies on sheep penning in India, however, remain
https://doi.org/10.33002/pp0105 mainly focused on its contribution to soil fertility and relevance to
organic farming and economics, but very few studies have focussed
on the farmers’ preference for sheep penning, farmer-pastoralist
Received: 30 December 2022 relationships and sheep penning economy in the backdrop of a
Reviewed: 21 January 2023 rapidly changing agriculture landscape in the Telangana state of
Revised: 28 February 2023 India. Observations of the study indicate that changes in
Accepted: 15 March 2023 agricultural practices and decrease in commons have led to
Published: 07 April 2023
changes in the sheep flock size, seasonal migration pattern of
Copyright © 2023 by author(s)
pastoralists and farmers’ preference for sheep penning in the study
area. Participant farmers of the study, who practice both penning
Publisher’s Note: We stay neutral with and application of synthetic fertilizer, reported to have incurred
regard to jurisdictional claims in published relatively lesser input costs than the farmers who exclusively rely
maps, permissions taken by authors and on synthetic fertilizers. Penning was reported to be the second
institutional affiliations. major source of household income for the pastoralists who
participated in the study, next to the sale of live animals.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Keywords
Commons Attribution International Penning; Sheep; Pastoralism; Deccan Plateau; Telangana;
License (CC BY 4.0). Exploratory study
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/
1. Introduction
India has an estimated 535.78 million livestock population
(Government of India, 2019). About 80 per cent of which is
reared by the rural and pastoralist communities and maintained
Executive Chief Editor under extensive livestock management systems (Phand et al.,
Dr. Hasrat Arjjumend 2021). Penning of livestock is an ancient and the most common
Associate Editor practice in the extensive livestock management and pastoralist
Arushi Malhotra systems across the world. Penning of livestock especially in the
southern Indian peninsula can be traced back to the southern
This article is edited by Arushi Malhotra Indian Neolithic age (Korisettar et al., 2001a; Krishna & Morrison,
and Dr. Hasrat Arjjumend
Pastures & Pastoralism, 01 (2023), 64-92 Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/pp0105
2009; Murthy & Sontheimer, 1980; Southworth, 2006). The presence of ‘Ashmounds’
(the remnants of large mounds or heaps of highly-fired cattle dung) across most parts
of the southern peninsula indicate existence of a complex agro-pastoral economy
flourishing since the Neolithic era (Allchin & Allchin, 1982; Kennedy, 2000; Korisettar
et al., 2001b; Morrison, 2007; Murthy & Sontheimer, 1980).
The study by Sekhar (2015) indicates that during the pre-colonial period, despite the
availability of permanent village pastures, livestock (cattle and sheep) were regularly
driven inside forests for fodder and water, especially during the periods of scarcity.
However, dung was never collected from forests, which was the possible reason for
improved soil fertility of forests in the region. The pens/corrals were known as patti
in the regional Tamil language. They were called either as “ maattupatti (or)
thondupatti”1 based on the type of livestock enclosed in the penn/corral. There is also
a frequent reference to patti in the old Tamil literature (Sekhar, 2015). However,
scholars have a divided opinion about the specific relevance of heaping and burning
such large piles of dung, as it holds both social and ritual importance (Johansen,
2003; Allchin, 1963) as well as the utilitarian economic value (Paddayya, 1992,
1974).
A few significant geo-ethno-archaeological studies in Africa have shed many

interesting insights on the ecological functions of ancient penning sites of pastoralists
(Eguez et al., 2017). A study by Marshall et al. (2018) suggests that African grasslands
have been enriched, restructured and diversified by the penning and herding
activities of the pastoralist communities of Africa. The study by Donihue (2013) on
Savannas of Kenya found relatively larger and fast growing trees and higher densities
of Lygodactylus keniensis, a native gecko species at the edges of glades, suggesting
that dung deposits of the ancient penning sites of pastoralists could be the reason
behind the presence of large, fast growing trees and higher densities of geckos at the
edges of the glades.
Sheep is one of the earliest domesticated animals (Daly et al., 2021; Nomura et al.,
2013) and nomadic sheep rearing till today remains one of the dominant ways of
rearing. Traditionally, sheep rearing was the primary occupation of a few specific
pastoralist communities of the sub-continent (Somvanshi, 2006). The Dhangars of
Maharashtra, Kuruma of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Kuruba of Karnataka (of the
Deccan Plateau region) (Aerukala, 2020; Murthy & Sontheimer, 1980), the Konar of
Tamil Nadu, the Bakarwals of Jammu and Kashmir, the Gaddis, Kanets, Kaulis and
Kinnauras of Himachal Pradesh, the Bhotias of Uttarakhand, the Raikas of Gujarat and
Rajasthan are particularly associated with sheep and goat rearing in India and are
well known for sharing an intricate socio-cultural, religious, spiritual, and economic
relationship with them (Koller-Rollefson, 1994; Patil, 2009; Sharma et al., 2003).
Livestock in India produces more than 2600 million tons of dung per year (Kaur et al.,
2017). Penning of sheep and other livestock provides a regular supply of dung that is
used for manure, fuel and building material (Portillo et al., 2015) and also has
cultural and ritualistic significance (Notermans, 2019; Udayavani, 2020; Vedas
Resources, 2012). However, contemporary studies on sheep penning in India remain
mainly focused on its contribution to soil fertility and relevance to organic farming
(Nandhini & Suganthi, 2018; Sriveda & Srihitha, 2020) and economy (Kolay, 2007;
Shivkumara & Kiran, 2019); but very few studies have focused on the farmers’
preference for sheep penning, farmer-pastoralist relationships and sheep penning
economy in the backdrop of the rapidly changing agriculture landscapes in India in
general and Telangana in particular.
1
.Cattle/buffalo are called Mattu, and livestock is called Thondu, in Tamil, the regional Language mainly spoken
in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 65
The Telangana Socio Economic Outlook report of Government of Telangana (2022)

suggests that the overall gross irrigated area in the state has increased by 119% (6.2
million acres in 2014 to 13.6 million acres in 2020), since bifurcation of the state
from the former undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2014. The state also moved away from
cultivation of the traditional dryland food crops of pulses and millets, and adopted
cultivation based on more water intensive paddy (increase by 378%) and synthetic
fertilizer intensive commercial crops of cotton (increase by 61%) (Government of
Telangana, 2022). Sheep pastoralists do not prefer to graze their flocks among damp
and inundated farmlands as sheep have evolved in dry and arid conditions and
naturally averse to dampness.
Telangana is now the second largest producer of cotton and paddy in India
(Government of Telangana, 2022). It was assumed that the changing agriculture
landscapes and shift in crop choices may have some impact on the farmers’ preference
for sheep penning, farmer-pastoralist relationships and sheep penning economy in
Telangana. In this background, an exploratory study was commissioned by Sahjeevan -
Center for Pastoralism (Cfp)2 during 2019-20 to examine famers’ preference for sheep
penning, farmer-pastoralist relationships and economics of sheep penning tradition in
Telangana state (part of the Deccan plateau region of India).
2. Methodology
The study adopted an exploratory study design (Fusch et al., 2017) for scientific
inquiry. Adopting the exploratory study design was appropriate for the present study
for the following reasons. There were a lot of ambiguity surrounding farmer-
pastoralist relationships, negotiations, and economics of sheep penning in Telangana
due to lack of similar detailed studies. The objective of the study was to discover new
findings and ideas for further research (Kurt et al., 2011). Furthermore, the finances
were extremely meagre, and the study coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19
pandemic in the study area, which greatly limited the sample size and rigour of
investigation.
The study area is geographically located in the Telangana state situated in the semi-arid
Deccan plateau region of India. It experiences a hot and dry tropical weather. Based on
the weather and climatology and soils, the state is broadly divided into three major
agro-climatic zones – the Northern Telangana Zone (NTZ), the Central Telangana Zone
(CTZ), and the Southern Telangana Zone (STZ) (TSDPS & DES, 2021).
The NTZ comprises of 10 districts, the CTZ comprises of 12 districts and the STZ
comprises of 11 districts. Two agro-climatic zones and one district from each agro-
climatic zone were selected following the random sampling technique (Bartlett II et
al., 2001; Bryman, 2012). Kamareddy district represents the NTZ and Vikarabad
district represents the STZ of the state. Both the study districts represent different
agro-ecological zones with different precipitation rates, soil and crop profiles and
densities of sheep population. It was assumed that such diversity would provide an
opportunity to investigate the soil fertility management practices and penning
choices of farmers of the study area.
Criterion sampling, a variant of the purposive sampling technique (Cresswell, 2013),

was adopted for selection of research participants. Pastoralists involved in mobile
sheep pastoralism, and two types of farmers were considered as research
participants – farmers who prefer for both penning and synthetic fertilizers and
farmers who prefer only synthetic fertilizers for improving soil fertility.
2
Sahjeevan is a grassroots organisation based in Bhuj, Gujrat, India. 'Sah' means together and 'Jeevan' is living,
implying harmonious-living. The organization envisions a world where pastoral communities will continue their
traditional livelihoods living in harmony with nature. The Centre for Pastoralism is an initiative of Sahjeevan,
with an objective to promote understanding of Indian pastoralism through action-research and advocacy.
Data was gathered by conducting personal interviews and focus group discussions
(FGDs) (Mukherjee, 2003). As a protocol of an exploratory study, it is necessary to
learn from the communities themselves. In an exploratory study, data collection is a
kind of learning process than collection of evidence for predetermined set of
questions. Therefore, a semi-structured questionnaire with predominantly open-
ended questions was used for data collection (Fusch et al., 2017). Data was collected
through personal interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) while strictly
adhering to the COVID-19 protocols issued by the Government of India during the
pandemic. Data was mixed but predominantly qualitative in nature, consisting of
anecdotes, personal stories and experiences of farmers and pastoralists.
A two phase data collection strategy was adopted to ensure data saturation (Francis
et al., 2010). The two phase sampling strategy comprises of an ‘initial analysis
sample’ and ‘stopping criterion’ (Francis et al., 2010) to achieve data saturation. The
assumption was that data saturation occurs when no new information emerges from
the research subjects. As assumed, data related to farmer-pastoralist interpersonal
relationships, price negotiations related to penning, farmers’ crop choices and soil
management practices reached saturation with the initial analysis sample of 24
respondents and further new information hardly emerged thereafter.
Qualitative data collected through interviews and FGDs was transcribed. Transcripts
were subjected to inductive coding to initiate the coding process (Leech &
Onwuegbuzie, 2007). Codes such as mode of communication between pastoralists
and farmers, choice of farms for penning, terms and conditions for penning, and
change in interpersonal relationships have emerged naturally from the data itself
(Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007; Fereday & Muir-Cochrane, 2006). Report was
developed by collating the coded information found to be common among the
transcripts. Quantitative data related to the size of land, size of sheep flock, fee paid
for penning, amount of fertilizer used is analyzed using cross-tabulation for
descriptive purposes (Miles et al., 2019).
3. Results
3.1. Profiles of the Pastoralists and Farmers of the Study
The sheep pastoralists of the study predominantly belong to the Kuruma community
(known also as Dhangar in Maharashtra and Kuruba in Karnataka). The other
community found to have been engaged in sheep pastoralism is Yerra Golla (a sub-
sect of the Golla/Yadava community). Both the communities belong to the other
backward caste3 (OBC) category (Table 1). The average age of the participating
pastoralists in the study is 43.5 years. The average duration for which they were
involved in pastoralism is 24.5 years. Literacy rate among the pastoralists
participated in the study was only 35.7% with 64.3% illiterates. Nuclear family is the
common family structure among the study participants with the average family size
of 4 persons.
Table 1: Details of the Communities Involved in Sheep Pastoralism

Number of
Name of the Pastoralist Community Percentage of
Households
Community Category Households
(n = 14)
Kuruma OBC 10 71.4
Yerra Golla OBC 4 28.6
3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_Backward_Class
Participant farmers of the study belong to the small and medium landholder category.
The average age of the participant farmers is 43.8 years. The average number of years
they are involved in farming is 18.4 years. Participant farmers of the study belong to
Kuruma, Telugu Mudiraj Matsya and Yerra Golla communities belonging to the other
backward castes (OBC) and Reddy community belongs to the general category (GN)
(Table 2).
Table 2: Details of the Communities Involved in Agriculture

Number of
Name of the Category of the Percentage of
Households
Community Community Households
(n = 10)
Kuruma OBC 2 20
Reddy GN 3 30
Telugu Mudiraj Matsya OBC 3 30
Yerra Golla OBC 2 20
Similar to pastoralists, farmers of the study also have nuclear families and the
average size of the family is 4 members. Only 40% of the farmers are found to have
primary level education with 60% illiterates. The average landholding size (own
land) of the studies farmers is 7.4 acres. However, it was found that there is a
difference in the average landholding size (own land) of farmers who are practicing
both penning and chemical fertilizers and farmers who are using only chemical
fertilizers to maintain soil health and enhance productivity.
The average landholding (own land) of the participant farmers who are practicing
both penning and chemical fertilizers is 9.3 acres (rainfed 7 acres and irrigated 2.3
acres). The average landholding (own land) of farmers applying only chemical
fertilizers is 4.5 acres (rainfed 3.5 acres and 1 acre irrigated). In addition to the own
land, farmers relying exclusively on chemical fertilizers were found to lease-in land
and the average size of lease-in land is 4.2 acres (rainfed) (Table 3). The crops
cultivated by the participant farmers was found to be quite narrow and the major
crops reported were paddy, pigeon pea, cotton, sugarcane and peanut.
Table 3: Profiles of the Pastoralists and Farmers of the Study

Farmers Farmers
(Penning and (Only
Pastoralists
S.No. Variables Chemical Chemical
(n = 14)
Fertilizers), Fertilizers),
(n = 6) (n = 4)
Sheep Rainfed Rainfed
1. Primary occupation
pastoralism agriculture agriculture
2. Average age 43.5 42.6 43
3. Average years involved 24.5 17.6 19.5
4. % with primary education 35.7 50 25
5. Average family size 4 4 4
Average size of own flock
6. 139 0 0
(sheep)
Average size of own land
7. 2.5 9.3 4.5
holding (in ac)
Average size of lease in
8. 1 0 4.2
land (in ac)
Although results of the present study allude to a positive correlation between the
small landholding size and exclusive use of chemical fertilizers (Figure 1), but
observations of the present study remain inconclusive for two reasons: extremely
small dataset and the lack of detailed inquiry in that direction. Further, studies on the

relationship between farm size and the use of chemical fertilizers or adoption of
organic agriculture practices also remain inconclusive.
10
9
8
No. of Bags used per acre
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Farm Size in acres
Figure 1: The Correlations Between the Land Size and Number of Synthetic Fertilizer
Bags Used Per acre
3.2. The Major Livestock Species found in Sheep Pastoralism
The major livestock species maintained by pastoralists under the study is sheep. The
average flock size of sheep of the study is 139 animals. The pastoralists also keep a
few goats among the sheep and the average number of goats kept in the flock is 8
animals. Pastoralists under the study have reported to leave a few sheep (usually
sick/injured) back home and the average number of such sheep is 28. Pastoralists
under the study also lease in sheep from neighbours/others of their native villages
and the average number of such lease in sheep is 21. The owners of such sheep pay an
agreed amount (cash and kind) to pastoralists for taking care of their sheep.
Poultry also forms an important part of the livestock kept by the pastoralists under
the study and the average number of chicken maintained by pastoralists is 8 birds.
Traditionally, dogs have always been associated with pastoralism and enjoy a very
special place in the culture and traditions of the Kuruma community. They are kept
for herding and guarding the livestock and also as a regular companion to humans.
The average number of dogs kept by pastoralists under the study is 2. In addition,
pastoralists were also found to keeping a few other livestock, usually pony/bullock
kept as pack animals and the average number of such other livestock is 2.
Earlier (some 25–30 years ago), the average size of the sheep flock was 312 animals
(55.4% larger than the present flock size). Traditionally, other livestock of goats,
poultry, pack animals and dogs have been a part of sheep pastoralism in the study
area. Like today, goats were kept among sheep earlier too and the average number of
goats was 42 animals (81% more animals than the present number). Chicken were
kept earlier too and the average number of chicken was 13 birds (33% more birds
than present). The average number of sheep herding/guardian dogs kept earlier was
2. The average number of other livestock kept for pack animals earlier was 3. Similar
to today, sheep were leased in earlier too and the average number of sheep leased in
was 40 (46.2% higher than present) and the average number of goats leased in
earlier was 14.

3.3. Seasonal Migration Patterns and the Penning Season
The inception of seasonal migration in the study area is usually during the month of
November–January. However, pastoralists often linger around their native villages till
the end of November and leave for seasonal migration during the month of
December–January. It was observed that pastoralists of the two study districts prefer
different routes of seasonal migration. For instance, pastoralists of Vikarabad district
migrate south-west towards Sedam in Karnataka, about 100 km from their native
villages. Pastoralists of Kamareddy district tend to migrate north-west towards
Nanded in Maharashtra, about 200 km from their native villages.
The penning season in the study area usually commences during the month of
December–January and concludes during the month of April–June. The average
duration of penning season during the year 2020 was 106.8 days (3.5 months) and
the average number of days spent on penning at each farm was 5.2 days.
A sheep flock is referred to as gumpu or manda in Telugu, the regional language of

the study area. It was reported that two to three pastoralists, usually of the same
village, come together to form a group, which is called locally as “ Melam”. A Melam
consists of both pastoralists and their livestock. They stick together throughout the
migration season – they graze, pen, cook and eat together. The few main reasons for
pastoralists coming together to form Melam are – security during migration, sharing
of labour (usually one of them goes out in search of potential farms for grazing and
penning), and to increase the size of the flock as farmers in the study area usually
prefer to pen a flock having more than 500 sheep. Further, pastoralists (both sheep
and cattle) of the study area usually hire one or two labourers for taking care of the
livestock (Siripurapu et al., 2020; Siripurapu, 2021).
3.4. Hiring of Penning Services in the Study Area
The average number of farmers hiring penning services was observed to have been
increasing steadily over the past five years in Telangana study area. For instance, the
average number of farmers hiring penning services in the year 2019 was 43.7 (68%
increase) compared to 26 number of farmers hired the same in the year 2016 (Figure
2). The year 2020 has shown a 66% dip in the number of farmers hiring penning
services in the study area and it can be attributed to the COVID – 19 induced
lockdown (Siripurapu, 2021).
Farmers in the study area pay both in cash and kind (food grains) to pastoralists in
return for penning at their farms. The average penning fee per night collected from
farmers was INR 985.7 (USD 9.55) for an average flock size of 600-800 sheep during
the year 2020. On an average, pastoralists in the study area charge INR 1.5–2 per
sheep for penning per night. Author’s personal observations of penning economy of
cattle pastoralists in four districts of Kamareddy, Nagarkurnool, Nizamabad and
Rajanna-sircilla of Telangana also indicate that cattle pastoralists charge between INR
8-10 per animal per night for penning (Siripurapu et al., 2020). It was observed that
there has been a steady increase in the average penning fee per night in the study
area. For instance, the average fees collected from farmers for penning a flock of the
size between 600-800 sheep per night during the year 2016 and 2020 were INR
535.7 (USD 6.51) and INR 985.7 (USD 9.55), respectively (Figure 3). There has been
84% increase in the average penning fee per night from the year 2016 to 2020. As per
the response of the participant farmers and pastoralists, one of the major drivers
behind the increase in penning fee is the increase in the demand for organic farm
inputs and agriculture area and the decrease in number of households rearing
livestock (both large and small ruminants). However, further in-depth studies are
required to ascertain this.

45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Avg. no. of farmers
26 31.57 38.21 43.78 14.57
served
Figure 2: The Average Number of Farmers Hiring Penning Services for the Past Five
Years in the Study Area
1000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Penning fee (INR) / Day 535.71 669.28 782.14 910.71 985.71
Figure 3: Sheep Penning Fee (INR) /night in the Study Area
Payment in kind (known locally as Bettam) by farmers to pastoralists in the study

area includes 5-8 kg of food grains (usually rice). Traditionally, food grains were paid
in kind to both the pastoralists and their guarding dogs. It was reported that during
the period 2016 – 2019 pastoralists were paid mainly 5-6 kg of rice in kind, and only
7% of the respondents have reported to also have received vegetables during 2016 -
2019. However, there is not only an increase in the amount of rice (5-8 kg) but even
vegetables (100% HHs) have made their way into bettam since the year 2020. It was
reported that farmers in the study area have started vegetable cultivation on small-
scale on a few decimals of land for domestic consumption, since the advent of bore-
wells at individual farms. Farmers usually share a few vegetables from their gardens
with pastoralists as a part of bettam. However, it is unclear whether COVID-19
induced lockdown has played any role in the inclusion of vegetables in bettam during
the year 2020.

3.5. Contribution of Penning to the Pastoralist Household Income
Pastoralism is the mainstay of pastoralists of the study area. The household (HH)
income of pastoralists is derived from multiple sources that include the sale of
livestock, penning, sale of dung, agriculture and others (usually wage labour and
occasional sale of small quantities of wool and wool-based products). The mainstay of
pastoralist HH income however is the sale of livestock. The average annual pastoralist
HH income from the sale of livestock in the year 2020 was INR 199,143 (USD 2,420).
It was observed that the average annual HH income from penning in the year 2020
was INR 99,357 (USD 1,207), accounting to the second major source of the pastoralist
HH income in the study area (Figure 4).
2,00,000
1,50,000
1,00,000
50,000
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Agri. 26,200 32,071 35,500 39,929 46,071
Liv. sale 1,26,214 1,46,286 1,61,500 1,76,786 1,99,143
Penn. 61,014 69,493 77,614 85,857 99,357
Dun. Sale 8,427 8,888 21,342 11,208 12,393
Others 4,893 4,786 6,550 7,467 9,017
Figure 4: The Different Sources of Annual Pastoralist Household Income in the Study Area
2%
4%
12%
Agri.
Liv. Sale
27%
Penn
Dun. Sale
Other
55%
Figure 5: The Share (in %) of Sources of Income of Pastoralist Households in the

Study Area (Year 2020)
It was observed that the percentage share of penning, sale of dung and other sources
of pastoralist’s annual HH income remains fairly static in the financial year 2016 and
2020. However, a slight (1%) variation was observed in the percentage of share of
pastoralist annual HH income from agriculture and livestock. The percentage share of
annual HH income from agriculture has increased by 1% and the percentage share of
livestock of the HH income has decreased by 1% during the period 2016 – 2020
(Figure 6).
2%
4% 11%
Agri.
27% Liv. sale
Penn.
Dun. Sale
Others
56%
Figure 6: The Share (in %) of Sources of Income of Pastoralist Households in the

Study Area (Year 2016)
3.6. Investment of Farmers on Penning in the Study Area
On an average, farmers have been practicing in penning for 20 years in the study
area. Farmers of the study area have reported that pastoralists charge anywhere
between INR 500 (USD 6.08) and INR 1,450 (USD 17.62) for penning for a night. On
an average, a farmer pays INR 850 (USD 10.33) for penning for a night. Farmers in
the study area usually prefer a flock with more than 500 sheep and an ideal flock
should have anywhere between 600 and 800 sheep. The average number of days
farmers hire penning services is 5.2 days; however, a few farmers would not mind
having the flocks at their farms for a bit longer.
The average investment on penning per acre is INR 2,465 (USD 29.96) in the study
area. However, penning is usually practiced in a three year cycle, which means,
farmers would invite flocks for penning on the same piece of land only once in three
years. Farmers reported that approximately 60% of farmers of the studied villages
apply chemical fertilizers as well as practice penning to maintain soil health and
enhance yields. It was also reported that approximately 40% of farmers of the
studied villages almost exclusively rely on chemical fertilizers for the same. It was
found that farmers of Vikarabad district seem to have a strong preference for sheep
penning while the farmers of Kamareddy district have shown interest in both
penning the cattle and sheep.
3.7. The Impact of Penning on the use of Chemical Fertilizers in the Study Area
Observations of the study indicate that the average amount (in INR) spent per acre on
chemical fertilizers by farmers practicing penning and applying chemical fertilizers is

relatively lower (47.6%) than the average amount spent by farmers applying only
chemical fertilizers (Figure 7). While the average amount spent on chemical
fertilizers per acre by farmers practicing penning and applying chemical fertilizers
and farmers using only chemical fertilizers in the year 2020 was found to be INR
4,900 (USD 59.55) and INR 7,472 (USD 90.81), respectively. It was however,
observed that there is no significant difference in the amount spent on application of
pesticides between both the groups. The amount spent per acre on pesticides by
farmers practicing penning and applying chemical fertilizers and farmers using only
chemical fertilizers in the year 2020 were found to be INR 1,352 (USD 16.43) and INR
1,340 (USD 16.29), respectively. Farmers who practice penning have reported that
dung and urine deposited by sheep (or cattle) enriches soil fertility (Immanuel et al.,
2010). The fertility of the soil treated with penning usually lasts for three years (or
three cropping seasons), because of which the need for application of chemical
fertilizers decreases considerably. Farmers in the study area usually treat a piece of
land with dung or penning once in three years (or three cropping seasons) to
maintain soil fertility.
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Avg. Inv. ferti./ Avg. Exp.
ac Pesticide / ac
Penning & Synthetic
4900 1352
Fertilizers
Only Synthetic Fertilizers 7472 1340
Figure 7: Difference in the Amount Spent (in INR)/per acre on Synthetic Fertilizers
and Pesticides by Farmers Practicing Penning and Synthetic Fertilizers and Farmers
Applying only Synthetic Fertilizers in the FY 2020
It was evident from observations of the study that both the groups of farmers use
chemical fertilizers and pesticides for maintenance of soil health and control pests
and diseases. It was however noticed that the average number of bags of urea + DAP
(di-ammonium phosphate) used by both the groups vary. Farmers practicing penning
and applying chemical fertilizers seem to be applying 60% less number of bags when
compared with the farmers using only chemical fertilizers. The average number of
bags of chemical fertilizers per acre by farmers practicing penning and applying
chemical fertilizers and farmers using only chemical fertilizers in the year 2020 was
found to be 5 and 8, respectively (Figure 8).
3.8. Communication between Farmers and Pastoralists over Penning
Usually, one of the members of the pastoralist group (Melam) or a family member
goes out in search of potential farms for grazing and penning. Likewise, farmers also
go out in search of pastoralists and invite them to stop by their farmlands for

penning. Farmers and pastoralists keep in touch and communicate with each other
over the phone or social networks. It was found that farmers and pastoralists of the
study area are acquainted with each other for over 20 years, on an average.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Penning & Only
Synthetic Synthetic
Fertilizers Fertilizers
No. of bags / ac 5 8
Figure 8: Difference in the No. of Bags (Urea + DAP) used per acre by Farmers Practicing
Penning and Synthetic Fertilizers and Farmers Applying only Synthetic Fertilizers
3.9. Criteria used by Pastoralists for Choosing a Farm for Penning
It was noticed that pastoralists use an elaborate set of criteria for choosing a potential
farm for penning. The criteria used by pastoralists include availability of sufficient
fodder and water for their livestock, potential duration of their stay at a farm, existing
crops both at the farm chosen for penning and the adjacent farms, character of the
farmer and their history of payment for penning, safety of the livestock, presence and
convenience of route that they may use for onward journey, safety of the route, and
presence of other flocks along the way on the onward journey to avoid any potential
competition or conflict among the pastoralists.
3.10. Terms and Conditions of Pastoralists to Penn at a Farm
Pastoralists under the study have reported to have a few unwritten terms and
conditions for penning at a farm. They would confirm the number of days of stay at a
farm and the amount paid by a farmer for penning for a night. They would confirm
whether a farmer expects a goat/sheep ram in exchange to allow grazing and staying
at a farm. They would also consider the availability of enough fodder and water for
the flock. Usually nothing takes place in written form and pastoralists often get into
oral agreement with farmers in the presence of a third person (mediator/witness).
The oral agreements over penning include payments in cash and kind from farmers
and donation of a lamb (goat or sheep) to farmers by the pastoralists.
3.11. Terms and Conditions of Farmers to Allow Penning at Their Farms
Farmers in the study area decide the penning fee based on the size of the flock/herd.
Farmers usually prefer a flock having about 600 – 800 sheep and do not find a flock
with less than 500 sheep desirable for penning. In case of cattle, farmers prefer a herd
with 200-400 cattle heads. The average cycle of penning at the farm in the study area
is 3 years. In addition, farmers of the study area often lay down a few conditions to
allow flocks for grazing and penning at their farms. Pastoralists are asked to prevent

their flocks from going astray and raid crops on their own farm or the neighbouring
farms. Pastoralists are asked to take their flocks for drinking water at water bodies of
the village without letting out their livestock into farms along the route and prevent
any potential crop raiding. Pastoralists are asked to use water from the bore-well and
straw heaps at a farm judiciously. Pastoralists are asked not to cut or pollard trees at
the farm or neighbouring farms to feed their flocks. Farmers often make it clear that
in case of any crop raiding by the flock, either on own farm or neighbouring farms,
the compensation will be borne by the pastoralists.
3.12. Changes in Interpersonal Relationships and Terms and Conditions over Time
The changes in cropping pattern, increase in area under agriculture, and decrease of
commons, among others have brought quite a few changes not only in the livestock
population and seasonal migration, but also in the interpersonal relationships
between farmers and pastoralists in the study area. It was said that the area under
cultivation has increased and livestock has decreased in the study area. This shift has
led to farmers actively pursuing pastoralists to pen at their farms in exchange for
money.
Unlike earlier, pastoralists are now migrating further away from their native villages
and relatively spending very little time at each farm, leading to disruption of long-
term relationships that they have enjoyed traditionally. Penning has now become
more of a commercial activity than a co-dependent relationship. Earlier, money was
not a part of the penning tradition, but now it has turned into a major income
generation activity for pastoralists of the study area. Agreements over payment or
exchange of livestock are made first before entering a farm for grazing or penning.
Earlier, pastoralists used to give a goat or sheep ram voluntarily as a present on

family functions and festivals of landowners but such practices have now become a
part of the formal agreements of grazing and penning. Pastoralists have started
procuring fodder from market in case of need, a practice which was uncommon
earlier.
4. Discussion
Factors influencing farmers’ fertilizer input behaviour with regards to farmers’ own
characteristics, land size, land tenure, education, gender, neighbouring effect,
resource endowment, cropping structure, among others, have been discussed
extensively in the existing literature (Brunelle et al., 2015; Takeshima & Liverpool-
Tasie, 2015; Takeshima et al., 2017; Yanggen et al., 1998). Most studies on land size
suggest that the intensity of chemical fertilizer application decreases as land size
increases without any impact on the yield, as large-scale farms are more likely to
substitute advanced farm machinery and agricultural technologies for chemical
fertilizer use (Ju et al., 2016). However, Aryal et al. (2021) in the study on the factors
affecting farmers’ use of organic and inorganic fertilizers across the Indo-Gangetic
Plains in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh found that large farm size is positively
associated with the amount of application of both urea and DAP in paddy cultivation.
The study suggests that wealthier households (HHs) and HHs with more livestock in
all study locations, except the Indian state of Haryana, were found to apply more of
the same. The same study also found that the likelihood of application of manure has
increased with the increase in land size, but the rate of application was inversely
related.
Similar to observations of the present study, a study by Rapsomanikis (2015) in

Kenya found that small landholding farmers use seeds and chemical fertilizers more
intensively than large landholder farmers. Wu et al. (2021a) in the study on farmers
of Northern China found that the deviation from optimal use of chemical fertilizers of

small-scale farmers is significantly higher than that of the large-scale farmers. The
general notion is that small farmers are usually resource poor, therefore, cannot
afford to buy sufficient amount of chemical fertilizers, and also more likely to apply
less or an unbalanced use of chemical fertilizers (Singh et al., 2014). However, studies
have also found that chemical fertilizer use efficiency is inversely proportional to
farm size i.e., the smaller the farm size, the higher the fertilizer use efficiency (Hu et
al., 2019).
Wu et al. (2021b) in the study on the impact of land transfer on the intensity of
chemical fertilizer application in China found that men farmers with smaller arable
land, and long years of farming experience, as well as younger farmers and farmers
with higher awareness of low-carbon agriculture or membership in specialized
farmer cooperatives tend to apply less amounts of chemical fertilizers (Chen et al.,
2011).
Land ownership rights and tenure security also play a major role in farmers’ choices
and behaviour. The property rights theory suggests that a stable, clear, and long-term
land rights will encourage farmers to make responsible investments, such as the
application of organic fertilizer that can lead to soil improvement in the long term
(Bungau et al., 2021; Liang et al., 2020; Ya-Hui et al., 2019). Conversely, short and
unclear tenures and unstable land rights can provoke predatory short-term
production behaviour of farmers Wu et al. (2021) submit that farmers may apply
more fertilizer on the transferred land, especially when the contract duration and
stability are unclear and apply more chemical fertilizer on the transferred land
(Otsuka et al., 2001).
Kolay (2007) found that a sheep produces about 0.5 kg of droppings and 1.2 litres of
urine every day. The nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (NPK) content of sheep
droppings is N= 0.7%, P=0.51% and K=0.29 % and that of urine is N=1.5%,
P=0.05% and K=1.96%. Studies suggest that penning of 100 sheep for 6 nights can
fertilize around 2.5 acres of farmland (Nandhini & Suganthi, 2018). Telangana has
17.4 million sheep, providing about 9 million kg of manure and about 21 million litres
of urine every day. Farmers of the study area reportedly pay an average INR 1.5 – 2.0
per sheep for penning per night, which could generate a revenue of an estimated INR
26 million (USD 316,843) per day in the state (Nandhini & Suganthi, 2018; Sriveda &
Srihita, 2020). The average duration of sheep penning in Telangana state is 107 days
and the estimated revenue generated from sheep penning alone could be
approximately INR 2.7 billion (USD 327,240) within a span of 3.5 months (107 days).
If the revenue generated from the sale of dung of sheep, goat, cattle and buffalo and
penning of cattle is calculated, then the figure would be even higher.
Personal observations at Salkapuram village, Kallur Mandal, in Kurnool district of

Andhra Pradesh, found that the panchayat (village council) usually auctions the
village farmlands and commons for grazing. Pastoralists of the surrounding villages
usually participate in a bid to gain access to the village grazing lands. The bidding fee
would be anywhere between INR 50,000–100,000 (USD 609-1218) per individual to
gain access to grazing at the village.
Nandhini & Suganthi (2018, p.371) hypothetically put forward the “penning theory”,
which elucidates that “…….the sheep get their feed from field and field is enriched
with nutrients and loads of microorganisms act on them to turn the soil more fertile
than before”. It may open new research opportunities to investigate how this
hypothetical theory behaves in the different and dynamic socio-cultural, economic,
agricultural, land tenure regimes and climate change settings.

5. Conclusion
Penning and sale of dung accounts to the second major source of HH income of
pastoralists who participated in the study. Results of the study indicate a steady
increase in the average HH income of pastoralists from penning during the period
2016 - 2020. However, it is seldom considered as an important livelihood and income
generation activity, therefore, remains out of the purview of the Telangana state
machinery. Perhaps, the promotion of penning and dung sale should be
institutionalized as “manure economy” and included as a mandate of both the state
agriculture and animal husbandry departments. The Government of India and few
Indian states like Chhattisgarh, have already initiated schemes for institutionalization
and streamlining of the dung economy.
Godhan Nyay Yojana is the flagship scheme of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh
(Pandey et al., 2022). The objective of the scheme is to “facilitate rapid strengthening
of the rural economy” by giving “a boost to the dairy business and organic farming”
while improving the rural environment. Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country
to procure cattle dung and establish a system for procurement in a profit oriented
approach. Currently, cattle dung procured under the scheme is used for the
production of vermi-compost. GOBARdhan4, a centrally sponsored scheme by the
Government of India, supports the villages in safely managing the livestock and
agriculture waste and converting them into bio-gas and manure through rural
enterprises. Similarly, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has
already launched the "Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation"
(SATAT)5, to boost the renewable energy sector and technologies. The SATAT
provides the necessary opportunities for effective management of bio-waste and
conversion of the same into economically viable models such as the production of
compressed-biogas and manure. The Ministry, under this scheme promotes
marketing of bio-compressed natural gas (Bio-CNG) in the country.
With regards to farm input costs, observations of the present study indicate that
farmers who are practicing penning tend to incur relatively lower expenses on chemical
fertilizers when compared with the farmers who rely exclusively on chemical fertilizers
for enhancement of soil fertility and production. However, results of the study assume
that land ownership rights and tenure security may also play a major role in farmers’
interest in more environmental friendly choices like sheep penning.
Agricultural expansion, disappearance of commons and unavailability of labour were

cited as the major constrains of mobile pastoralism. Furthermore, pastoralists of the
study indicate that acquiring immovable assets such as agriculture land and a more
settled lifestyle is the future. However, more studies are necessary to understand the
future of pastoralism in the study area.
Other services of sheep and other livestock include trampling of soils and application
of manure directly to farmlands without any transportation and application costs,
free services for rejuvenation of commons, pastures, and forests, control of weeds,
recycling of nutrients, seed dispersal, among others, in-lieu of grazing throughout the
year, are not even accounted. Such dimensions of penning in the context of India need
further investigation.
6. Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Ms. Sushma Iyengar of Sahjeevan for conceptualizing and
commissioning the present study and Centre for Pastoralism for funding the study. I
4
GOBARdhan: https://sbm.gov.in/gbdw20/
5
SATAT: https://mopng.gov.in/en/pdc/investible-projects/alternate-fuels/sustainable-alternative-towards-
affordable-transportation
would like thank Mr. Megavardhan Reddy of WASSAN for field support and data
collection. I would remain grateful to farmers and pastoralists who agreed to spend
their valuable time and share their experiences especially during the COVID-19
pandemic.
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Pastoralism in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States of the Deccan Plateau
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Author’s Declarations and Essential Ethical Compliances

Author’s Contributions (in accordance with ICMJE criteria for authorship)
This article is 100% contributed by the sole author. He conceived and designed the
research or analysis, collected the data, contributed to data analysis & interpretation,
wrote the article, performed critical revision of the article/paper, edited the article,
and supervised and administered the field work.
Funding
No funding was available for the research conducted for and writing of this paper.
Therefore, acknowledging any support agency is not applicable in case of this
research or the written work. However, informal support of institutional supervisors,
colleagues and respondents is duly acknowledged.
Research involving human bodies or organs or tissues (Helsinki Declaration)

The author(s) solemnly declare(s) that this research has not involved any human
subject (body or organs) for experimentation. It was not a clinical research. The
contexts of human population/participation were only indirectly covered through
literature review. Therefore, an Ethical Clearance (from a Committee or Authority) or
ethical obligation of Helsinki Declaration does not apply in cases of this study or
written work. Yet, a Declaration is appended.
Research involving animals (ARRIVE Checklist)

The author(s) solemnly declare(s) that this research has not involved any animal
subject (body or organs) for experimentation. The research was not based on
laboratory experiment involving any kind animal. Some contexts of animals are also
indirectly covered through literature review. Therefore, an Ethical Clearance (from a
Committee or Authority) or ethical obligation of ARRIVE does not apply in cases of
this study or written work. Yet, the ARRIVE checklist is appended.
Research on Indigenous Peoples and/or Traditional Knowledge

The author(s) solemnly declare(s) that this research has not involved Indigenous
Peoples as participants or respondents, with the documentation of their Indigenous
Knowledge. Some other contexts of Indigenous Peoples or Indigenous Knowledge are
indirectly covered through literature review. Therefore, a Self-Declaration in this
regard is filed by the researcher and first author to support this study or written work.
Ethical Clearance Certificate is also appended.
Research involving Plants

The author(s) solemnly declare(s) that this research has not involved the plants for
experiment or field studies. The contexts of plants were only indirectly covered
through literature review. Yet, during this research the author(s) obeyed the
principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on the Trade
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
(Optional) Research Involving Local Community Participants (Non-Indigenous)

The author(s) solemnly declare(s) that this research has involved local community
participants or respondents belonging to non-Indigenous peoples. Yet, this study did
not involve any child in any form directly or indirectly. The contexts of different
humans, people, populations, men/women/children and ethnic people are also
indirectly covered through literature review. Therefore, a sample copy of prior
informed consent (PIC) of the respondents was taken under this study before the
face-to-face interviews and interactions.

(Optional) PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-
Analyses)
The author(s) has/have NOT complied with PRISMA standards. It is not relevant in
case of this study or written work.
Competing Interests/Conflict of Interest

Author(s) has/have no competing financial, professional, or personal interests from
other parties or in publishing this manuscript. There is no conflict of interest with the
publisher or the editorial team or the reviewers.
Attribution and Representation

All opinions and mistakes are the author(s)’ own and cannot be attributed to the
institutions they represent. The publisher is also not responsible either for such
opinions and mistakes in the text or graphs or images.
Rights and Permissions

Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license,
visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
***
To see original copy of these declarations signed by Corresponding/First Author (on
behalf of other co-authors too), please download associated zip folder [Ethical
Declarations] from the published Abstract page accessible through and linked with
the DOI: https://doi.org/10.33002/pp0105

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Acrobat Reader (available free here) is recommended for completion.
The ARRIVE guidelines 2.0: author checklist
The ARRIVE Essential 10

These items are the basic minimum to include in a manuscript. Without this information, readers and reviewers
cannot assess the reliability of the findings.
Section/line
Item Recommendation number, or reason
for not reporting
Study design 1 For each experiment, provide brief details of study design including: The study does not involve experiments on
any animals either living or dead, capture,
confinement, and use of any animals (either
a. The groups being compared, including control groups. If no control group has
living or dead), collection of their body parts,
tissues or genetic material.
been used, the rationale should be stated.

The study does not involve experiments on
b. The experimental unit (e.g. a single animal, litter, or cage of animals).

Sample size 2 a. Specify the exact number of experimental units allocated to each group, and the The study does not involve experiments on
total number in each experiment. Also indicate the total number of animals used. confinement, and use of any animals (either
b. Explain how the sample size was decided. Provide details of any a priori sample The study does not involve experiments on
size calculation, if done. confinement, and use of any animals (either
Inclusion and 3 a. Describe any criteria used for including and excluding animals (or experimental The study does not involve experiments on
exclusion units) during the experiment, and data points during the analysis. Specify if these confinement, and use of any animals (either
criteria criteria were established a priori. If no criteria were set, state this explicitly.

b. For each experimental group, report any animals, experimental units or data points confinement, and use of any animals (either
not included in the analysis and explain why. If there were no exclusions, state so. tissues or genetic material.
c. For each analysis, report the exact value of n in each experimental group. confinement, and use of any animals (either
Randomisation 4 a. State whether randomisation was used to allocate experimental units to control The study does not involve experiments on
and treatment groups. If done, provide the method used to generate the confinement, and use of any animals (either
randomisation sequence.
b. Describe the strategy used to minimise potential confounders such as the order The study does not involve experiments on
of treatments and measurements, or animal/cage location. If confounders were confinement, and use of any animals (either
not controlled, state this explicitly. tissues or genetic material.
Blinding 5 Describe who was aware of the group allocation at the different stages of the The study does not involve experiments on
experiment (during the allocation, the conduct of the experiment, the outcome confinement, and use of any animals (either
assessment, and the data analysis).

Outcome 6 a. Clearly define all outcome measures assessed (e.g. cell death, molecular markers, The study does not involve experiments on
measures or behavioural changes). confinement, and use of any animals (either

b. For hypothesis-testing studies, specify the primary outcome measure, i.e. the The study does not involve experiments on
outcome measure that was used to determine the sample size. confinement, and use of any animals (either
Statistical 7 a. Provide details of the statistical methods used for each analysis, including The study does not involve experiments on
methods software used. confinement, and use of any animals (either

b. Describe any methods used to assess whether the data met the assumptions of The study does not involve experiments on
the statistical approach, and what was done if the assumptions were not met. confinement, and use of any animals (either
Experimental 8 a. Provide species-appropriate details of the animals used, including species, strain The study does not involve experiments on
animals and substrain, sex, age or developmental stage, and, if relevant, weight. confinement, and use of any animals (either
b. Provide further relevant information on the provenance of animals, health/immune The study does not involve experiments on
status, genetic modification status, genotype, and any previous procedures. confinement, and use of any animals (either
Experimental 9 For each experimental group, including controls, describe the procedures in enough The study does not involve experiments on
procedures detail to allow others to replicate them, including: confinement, and use of any animals (either
a. What was done, how it was done and what was used. any animals either living or dead, capture,
b. When and how often. tissues or genetic material.

c. Where (including detail of any acclimatisation periods). living or dead), collection of their body parts,
d. Why (provide rationale for procedures). any animals either living or dead, capture,
Results 10 For each experiment conducted, including independent replications, report: The study does not involve experiments on
a. Summary/descriptive statistics for each experimental group, with a measure of

variability where applicable (e.g. mean and SD, or median and range). The study does not involve experiments on
b. If applicable, the effect size with a confidence interval. living or dead), collection of their body parts,
SELF-DECLARATION FORM
Research on Indigenous Peoples and/or Traditional Knowledge
1. Conditions of the Research
1.1 Was or will the research (be) conducted on (an) Indigenous land, including reserve, settlement, and
land governed under a self-government rule/agreement or?
No
1.2 Did/does any of the criteria for participation include membership in an Indigenous community,
group of communities, or organization, including urban Indigenous populations?
No
1.3 Did/does the research seek inputs from participants (members of the Indigenous community)
regarding a community’s cultural heritage, artifacts, traditional knowledge, biocultural or biological
resources or unique characteristics/practices?
No
1.4 Did/will Aboriginal identity or membership in an Indigenous community used or be used as a

variable for the purposes of analysis?
No
2. Community Engagement
2.1 If you answered “Yes” to questions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 1.4, have you initiated or do you intend to
initiate an engagement process with the Indigenous collective, community or communities for this
study?
No Applicable
2.2 If you answered “Yes” to question 2.1, describe the process that you have followed or will follow
with to community engagement. Include any documentation of consultations (i.e., formal research
agreement, letter of approval, PIC, email communications, etc.) and the role or position of those
consulted, including their names if appropriate:
Not Applicable.
3. No Community Consultation or Engagement

If you answered “No” to question 2.1, briefly describe why community engagement will not be sought
and how you can conduct a study that respects Aboriginal/ Indigenous communities and participants in
the absence of community engagement.
The present study titled: “The Traditional Sheep Penning System: An Exploratory Study
on Farmers’ Preferences, Farmer-Pastoralist Relationships and Economics of Sheep
Penning in Telangana, India”, involves community participation, however, the research
participants of the present study does not belong to any Aboriginal/ Indigenous
communities, which were officially classified and identified as the “Scheduled Tribes”,
by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs – The Government of India.
 Name of Principal Researcher: Kanna Kumar Siripurapu

 Affiliation of Principal Researcher: South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources
Studies, Plot No. 164, Road No. 6, Vayupuri, Sainikpuri, Secunderabad - 500094, Telangana, India.
Signature:
Declaration: Submitting this note by email to any journal published by The Grassroots Institute is your
confirmation that the information declared above is correct and devoid of any manipulation.
INFORMATION AND CONSENT FORM FROM RESPONDENTS
(Non-Indigenous or Indigenous Respondents)
*This form was translated into local language for the respondents*
Title of the Research: The Traditional Sheep Penning System: An Exploratory

Study on Farmers’ Preferences, Farmer-Pastoralist Relationships and
Economics of Sheep Penning in Telangana, India
Principal Researcher: Kanna Kumar Siripurapu

South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water
Resources Studies, Plot No. 164, Road No. 6, Vayupuri,
Sainikpuri, Secunderabad - 500094, Telangana, India
Research Supervisor: Sushma Iyengar

Sahjeevan, Hospital Rd., Jalaram Society, Vijay Nagar, Bhuj -
370001, Gujarat, India
A) INFORMATION TO PARTICIPANTS
1. Objectives of the research

The objectives of this study were to to examine famers’ preference for sheep penning, farmer-pastoralist
relationships and economics of sheep penning tradition in Telangana state
2. Participation in research
The researcher will ask you several pertinent questions. This interview will be recorded in written form and
should last about 50-60 minutes. The location and timing of the interview will be determined by you,
depending on your availability and convenience.
3. Risks and disadvantages

There is no particular risk involved in this project. You may, however, refuse to answer any question at any
time or even terminate the interview.
4. Advantanges and benefits

You will receive intangible benefits even if you refuse to answer some questions or decide to terminate the
interview. You will also contribute to a better understanding of the causes for pastoralists’ livelihood
transformation.
5. Confidentiality
Personal information you give us will be kept confidential. No information identifying you in any way will be
published. In addition, each participant in the research will be assigned a code and only the researcher will
know your identity.
6. Right of withdrawal
Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary and you can at any time withdraw from the research on
simple verbal notice and without having to justify your decision, without consequence to you. If you decide to
Page 1 of 2
opt out of the research, please contact the researcher at the telephone number or email listed below. At your
request, all information concerning you can also be destroyed. However, after the outbreak of the publishing
process, it is impossible to destroy the analyses and results on the data collected.
B) CONSENT
Declaration of the participant

 I understand that I can take some time to think before agreeing or not to participate in the research.
 I can ask the research team questions and ask for satisfactory answers.
 I understand that by participating in this research project, I do not relinquish any of my rights,
including my right to terminate the interview at any time.
 I have read this information and consent form and agree to participate in the research project.
 I agree that the interviews be recorded in written form by the researcher: Yes ( ) No ( )
Signature of the participant : ___________________ Date : ____________________
Surname : ________________________________ First name : ________________________________
Researcher engagement
I explained to the participant the conditions for participation in the research project. I answered to the best of
my knowledge the questions asked and I made sure of the participant's understanding. I, along with the
research team, agree to abide by what was agreed to in this information and consent form.
Signature of the researcher : Date : 15-02-2020
Surname: Siripurapu First name: Kanna
 Should you have any questions regarding this study, or to withdraw from the research, please contact
Mr. Kanna Kumar Siripurapu by e-mail [email protected]
 If you have any concerns about your rights or about the responsibilities of researchers concerning
your participation in this project, you can contact the Sahjeevan, Hospital Rd., Jalaram Society,
Vijay Nagar, Bhuj - 370001, Gujarat, India by email [email protected]
Page 2 of 2

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Pastures & Pastoralism

Published by The Grassroots Institute

ISSN 2817-3457 | 01(2023) M – 00337 | Research Article | Open Access

The Traditional Sheep Penning System: An

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu

How to cite this paper: Siripurapu, K. K. Abstract

A few significant geo-ethno-archaeological studies in Africa have shed many

The Telangana Socio Economic Outlook report of Government of Telangana (2022)

Criterion sampling, a variant of the purposive sampling technique (Cresswell, 2013),

Table 1: Details of the Communities Involved in Sheep Pastoralism

Table 2: Details of the Communities Involved in Agriculture

Table 3: Profiles of the Pastoralists and Farmers of the Study

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 68

3.2. The Major Livestock Species found in Sheep Pastoralism

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 69

3.3. Seasonal Migration Patterns and the Penning Season

A sheep flock is referred to as gumpu or manda in Telugu, the regional language of

3.4. Hiring of Penning Services in the Study Area

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 70

Payment in kind (known locally as Bettam) by farmers to pastoralists in the study

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 71

3.5. Contribution of Penning to the Pastoralist Household Income

Figure 5: The Share (in %) of Sources of Income of Pastoralist Households in the

Figure 6: The Share (in %) of Sources of Income of Pastoralist Households in the

3.6. Investment of Farmers on Penning in the Study Area

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 73

3.8. Communication between Farmers and Pastoralists over Penning

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 74

3.9. Criteria used by Pastoralists for Choosing a Farm for Penning

3.10. Terms and Conditions of Pastoralists to Penn at a Farm

3.11. Terms and Conditions of Farmers to Allow Penning at Their Farms

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 75

Earlier, pastoralists used to give a goat or sheep ram voluntarily as a present on

Similar to observations of the present study, a study by Rapsomanikis (2015) in

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 76

Personal observations at Salkapuram village, Kallur Mandal, in Kurnool district of

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 77

Agricultural expansion, disappearance of commons and unavailability of labour were

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 79

data saturation for theory-based interview studies, Psychology & Health,

Journal of Marketing Research, 48, 741-754.

northern Tunisia. Quaternary International, 431, 133-144. Retrieved from:

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 82

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 83

Author’s Declarations and Essential Ethical Compliances

Research involving human bodies or organs or tissues (Helsinki Declaration)

Research involving animals (ARRIVE Checklist)

Research on Indigenous Peoples and/or Traditional Knowledge

Research involving Plants

(Optional) Research Involving Local Community Participants (Non-Indigenous)

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 84

Competing Interests/Conflict of Interest

Attribution and Representation

Rights and Permissions

Kanna Kumar Siripurapu 85

The ARRIVE guidelines 2.0: author checklist

The ARRIVE Essential 10

been used, the rationale should be stated.

b. The experimental unit (e.g. a single animal, litter, or cage of animals).

Signature of the participant : _ Date : __

Surname : First name :