Farmer producer company successfully implements farm-to-home model during lockdown

Supplying directly to consumers helped the farmer producer company address the problems of surplus produce and help its farmers (Photo courtesy Vrutti)

Connecting farmers who had surplus produce and consumers who lacked access to vegetables and fruits, a farmer producer company in Karnataka bridges the gap, benefitting both

Volunteers in Odisha ensure stranded migrants do not go hungry

Social workers handling migrants’ issues networked to ensure that stranded migrants such as this group in Tamil Nadu received food supplies (Photo courtesy ODMMI)

Social service personnel working on migration issues network with philanthropists, administrators and volunteers to ensure stranded Odia migrants and other state migrants in Odisha are fed

Multiple post-pandemic measures will stabilize farm economy

Surrounded by crop that is ready to be harvested, a farmer in his pulse field in Puri district, Odisha, wearing a mask as precaution (Photo by Sk Mosharaf Hossain)

Farm sector faces challenges of workforce shortage and disrupted supply chain. Multiple measures by government can stabilize farm economy and sustain everyone in food production

Lockdown break will undo remote tribal students’ learning

From getting a well-rounded education, the students of Hemalkasa’s residential ashram school, have gone back to helping in household chores (Photo by Samiksha Godse)

First generation learners in remote villages lack online and community resources to learn at home during lockdown, as mandated by government. They will need to relearn, to make up for lost time

Use of machaan for mixed cropping boosts farmers’ income

Trellis system helps farmers earn more, growing creepers and shade-loving ground vegetables simultaneously (Photo courtesy SSGVSS)

Smallholder farmers utilize space efficiently, growing creepers on machaan and shade-loving plants underneath. This mixed cropping with different growth period eliminates risk and improves farm income

Multi-pronged approach will reboot flagging rural economy

Due to the difficulty in selling his 20 tons of bottle gourd, the farmer could not buy farm inputs for his summer crop (Photo courtesy Ashok Kumar)

Enhancing the resilience of rural production system through multiple measures, besides soil and water conservation initiatives would help the rural populace find a firm footing

After lockdown distress, villagers are unwilling to migrate again

Migrant workers such as Sambaru Ho, seen with his father in Haridakut village, Odisha, do not wish to return to cities for work, even after the lockdown is lifted (Photo by Srinibas Das)

Having suffered during the lockdown, villagers do not wish to migrate again to cities for work. This would impact the rural as well as urban economy

Designers ensure physical and financial health of handloom weavers

While social distancing is possible for artisans working at home in Chendamangalam, the lockdown has made a dent in their income (Photo courtesy Sreejith Jeevan)

Fashion designers working with handloom artisans ensure that their financial needs are met despite lack of work during lockdown, and keep their morale high by being in touch

Disrupted supply chains need to be mended to revive rural economy

Migrant workers returning to their villages has made a dent in their income (Photo Courtesy: Balouri Rajesh)

Infusion of working capital at some levels of the supply chain and easing of transportation regulations would put ruptured supply chains back on track and reboot rural economy

Misconceptions about COVID-19 result in poultry value chain erosion – II

The women poultry farmers were forced to destroy eggs in the hatchery units and table eggs, as misconceptions had led to complete collapse of the value chain (Photo by Deepak Tushir)

The poultry value chain suffered a macro tragedy due to rumors linking the pandemic and chicken consumption. Compensation to women poultry farmers, infusion of capital and logistics permission can restore the sector

How a tribal community took measures to guard itself against COVID-19

Madheswari, the panchayat president, with the help of ward members and volunteers, ensures that precautions such as physical distancing are adhered to (Photo courtesy Manjunathan)

Being a valley ensconced between the Kalvarayan and Sitteri Hills, Sittilingi is quite cut off from the rest of Dharmapuri District under which it falls. With limited access, the valley would seem safe from the rapid spread of coronavirus. However, monsoon failure force the farming tribes to migrate to towns and cities in Tamil Nadu… Continue reading How a tribal community took measures to guard itself against COVID-19