Author: Hiren Kumar Bose

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Raigad farmers cultivate rice with less water

Farmers in many parts of Maharashtra are switching from water-intensive paddy cultivation to the innovative Saguna rice technique that manages soil and water more efficiently while yielding better harvests

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Success eggs on Sindhudurg farmers

Demand for eggs and good market linkage have led to once-struggling farmers take up layer poultry, boosting income and earning Wados village a place in India’s egg production map

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Chia seeds earn bumper incomes for Mysuru farmers

Switching from traditional crops, farmers of Mysuru district in Karnataka have boosted agricultural income by cultivating chia seeds, which are becoming popular in India because of their nutritional value

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Bengal farmers conserve heritage rice against climate vagaries

Going against the general preference for high-yielding rice, some marginal farmers in Bankura have started conserving, documenting and propagating traditional rice varieties that are on the brink of extinction

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Chhattisgarh tribes taste success raising honeybees

Living a marginalized life in the mining region of Dantewada, local tribes dependent on forest produce, rain-fed agriculture and wild honey have successfully taken to modern apiculture

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Sinnar farmers breathe life back into irrigated farming

By collectively reviving a colonial-era irrigation system, farmers in 19 villages of Sinnar in Maharashtra have transformed a water-starved area into productive and prosperous farmlands

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GI tag boosts demand for Waigaon’s turmeric

Farmers of Waigaon in Maharashtra have received a GI tag for organically grown turmeric that is rich in curcumin, known for its multiple health benefits. The cultivators hope to cash in on the increase in demand

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How villagers in Poi breathed life back into a forest

In an extraordinary tale of community managed ecological restoration, the residents of Poi village near Kalyan in Maharashtra adopted a degraded forest and turned it into a lush haven of biodiversity

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Drumstick cultivation boosts farm incomes in drought-prone Solapur

Perfectly adapted to dry land farming, the nutrient-rich moringa has become the crop of choice among many farmers in drought-prone Solapur, earning them a steady income throughout the year

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Custard apple ushers in affluence to Maharashtra farmers

Farmers in Pimpari Dumala in Maharashtra have prospered so much by growing custard apples that they have spurned land acquisition offers to expand industrial estates

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Tarapur villages use saltpan to harvest water

Although land and groundwater around the Tarapur atomic plant had turned saline due to seawater ingress and presence of a saltpan, villagers have successfully redeemed and reclaimed the land

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Fishers successfully farm crabs in estuaries, protect mangroves

Many coastal communities in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district have turned protectors of mangroves because they are earning supplementary incomes by farming crabs in estuaries with help from the state government and development agencies

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Konkan farms reap the bounty of bamboo

The newfound interest in the cultivation of bamboo, known as the wise man’s timber, is helping transform the rural economy in the Konkan region of Maharashtra by boosting farm incomes

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Rearing fish in farm ponds boosts rural incomes

Farm ponds, built to harvest rainwater and irrigate rain-fed fields, are doubling up as fishponds, helping farmers overcome vagaries of agriculture with an additional source of income

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Farmers grow coconuts in deserts to improve livelihoods

Many farmers in India, the world’s top coconut producing country, have successfully introduced coconut farming in arid regions to meet growing demand and to boost earnings

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Maharashtra’s tribal farmers revive traditional crops

Recognizing the significance of traditional crop varieties that can withstand climate-related vagaries and offer nutrition security, tribal farmers have started to conserve and propagate local cultivars

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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

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Pomegranate spells profits for Maharashtra farmers

The consistently high returns from growing pomegranates in Maharashtra, the epicenter of the fruit’s production in India, have seen many farmers adopt it over water-guzzling crops such as sugarcane and cotton

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Organic farming for better yields takes wing in Gujarat

Inspired by examples of farmers earning ample returns through various techniques of chemicals-free farming, a farmers’ produce company in Rajkot is writing a new chapter on sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid zones

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Jackfruit enjoys a second spring in Kerala

Growing profusely in the state, jackfruit is no longer a neglected crop in God’s own country because it is fetching high returns for farmers and there’s increasing awareness and acceptance of its many uses