Singur emerges as procurement hub for local farmers

Once the infamous political battlefield centered on the construction of a car factory, Singur in West Bengal has become a beacon of hope for local farmers, who sell their produce wholesale at fair prices at a state government promoted marketplace

Farmers in Maharashtra fear loss of kharif harvest, blame Met department

Farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are expecting a decline in crop yield during the autumn harvest and are holding the India Meteorological Department responsible for incorrect forecasting

Village entrepreneurship as a key to rural growth

The active promotion of enterprises in rural India is a possible way to further growth in the countryside and there’s need to examine their possibilities and limitations in order to tackle the problem of burgeoning unemployment

Grassroots innovation using curd reduces farming costs in Bihar

A curd mixture using copper has become popular in many parts of northern Bihar despite a lack of scientific validation because it has cut the cost of cultivation while increasing productivity for many small and marginal farmers

The shape of India’s non-profits in the 21st century

NGOs in India need to adapt to the shifting landscape of India by working in tandem with the state and markets, and retain their difference. This is a critical reform or perish phase for them.

Tribal women of Sundargarh make organic farming a life-changing economic activity

Tribal communities in Sundargarh district of Odisha have revived the traditional practice of growing food without the help of chemical fertilizers and made it viable economically by making pragmatic changes

Safflower cultivation sees drastic fall despite benefits

Despite its many health advantages, the cultivation of safflower for its oil is declining across India because farmers are not finding a ready market and are discouraged by the low prices it fetches

Tribal village in Palghar ensures water availability through summer

Residents of water-scarce village of indigenous people in Mokhada have collectively built a concrete embankment on a dry rivulet to harvest rainwater and become water-sufficient

Is direct benefit transfer really a panacea for the rural poor?

Given the complex and varied situations in rural India, the results of the direct benefit transfer method are so far mixed at best and debilitating at worst, as seen in the subsidies for farm equipment and fertilizers

Odisha village continues to keep traditional art alive

The iconic village of Raghurajpur in Puri district is home to over 300 artists who are still actively practicing traditional forms of painting and dance while keeping pace with the digital age

Collective farm gate procurement offers solutions to cover price crashes

Farmer producer companies have started to play an important role in procurement from smallholders, which guards against price crashes that has been plaguing marginalized farmers across the country despite record harvests

The unsuitable boy of India’s cattle economy

The problem of male cattle in India, the world’s largest milk-producing country, remains in limbo even as farmers grapple with latest government regulations that severely restrict cattle trade and culling

Millets travel from tribal farms to dinner tables

The indigenous Dongria Kondh community in Odisha is helping to restore the popularity of native varieties of millets that can grow in droughty weather conditions, even as millet products gain traction among affluent consumers for their many health benefits

Tie and dye add color to women’s lives in Nosariya

Learning the traditional art of coloring fabrics is enabling many women in rural Bikaner to add an additional source of household income in an area where patriarchy makes it difficult for them to step out of their villages

For some more blades of grass

Instead of raising a hue and cry to protect cows, more immediate action is required to make fodder available to the large cattle population in the country by controlling the menace of unwanted shrubs and weeds in India’s pastures and forests

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