Livelihoods
Farmer producer companies: let a thousand balloons float
While farmer producer companies mushroom across the country because of government’s financial incentives, problems in input delivery and sale of produce persist, making their long-term sustenance difficult
Cattle trade dwindles at Sonepur Mela
Enforcement of laws related to cattle trade has affected the famed Sonepur cattle fair, with cattle numbers decreasing steadily at the fair and sale dwindling by the year
Himachal’s organic farmers turn market-savvy
Collective representation helps smallholder organic farmers in Himachal’s Mandi district sell their produce directly to consumers in Delhi at a premium price, increasing their earnings
Custard apple thrives in Maharashtra’s dryland farms
Switching from traditional crops, farmers in rain-shadow areas of Maharashtra have found that growing custard apple suited for varied soil and climatic conditions is highly remunerative
Bamboo eliminates poverty among Wayanad villagers
Impoverished villages in Kerala’s Wayanad have found green gold in bamboo handicrafts and utility products, which have helped eliminate poverty and given them a regular source of income
Diversified organic farming can transform Marathwada
Smallholder women farmers in the climate-threatened Marathwada region of Maharashtra are ensuring nutritional security and additional income for their families through diversified organic agriculture
Families along Brahmaputra lose land to river erosion
Having lost homesteads and farmlands to river erosion, Assam’s farmers living in makeshift camps seek government intervention, even as state administration tries to rework a rehabilitation scheme announced in 2015
Bengal fishermen face livelihood quandary
Bottom trawling in banned near-shore areas has been destroying marine ecosystems, affecting traditional fishermen, and forcing some to work in those very trawlers to earn a living
Rural women place Sujini embroidery on global map
Craftswomen of Bihar have tailored Sujini, a traditional embroidery once practiced for internal use, to suit modern needs, lending it an international appeal
Gond children learn to conserve forests
With their forests degrading for a variety of reasons, Gond elders are rekindling interest about forest biodiversity among the younger generation, and are inspiring villagers to protect the forests
Kachchh pastoralists struggle as grasslands shrink in Gujarat
Pastoralists from Kachchh walk great distances in search of grazing lands for their sheep in Gujarat, even as pastures disappear or become inaccessible, and climate patterns get ever more erratic
Sinnar farmers switch to multi-cropping for resilient earnings
Growing a variety of crops in different portions of a field, farmers in Nashik district have improved soil health and productivity, reduced diseases and seed-to-sale time, and boosted revenue
Himachal apples give way to pomegranates
Changes in climatic conditions have led to Himachal farmers growing pomegranates, as many find that apple cultivation, other than high-density varieties, is no longer economically viable
Can handlooms provide a viable rural livelihood?
There are reasons not to give up entirely on the rural handloom sector, and we can learn from northeast India on how artisanal weaving can still be an attractive livelihood option
Clams provide lucrative livelihood to coastal women
With increasing popularity of clam meat, an abundant resource in coastal Kozhikode, units processing these mollusks enable women to make a sustainable living without leaving their village
Restored wastelands would improve livestock economy
Degraded wastelands have led to a fodder shortage in underdeveloped Barwani district. Involving communities to restore the wastelands will enable them to rear more livestock, thus improving incomes
Chemistry Nobel Prize has a rural Odisha connection
People of Maligaon village in Odisha are for the first time using lithium ferro-phosphate batteries invented by Nobel laureate John Goodenough to store power from their solar mini-grid
Palmyrah tappers move from climbing trees to casting nets
After a drought and a ban on toddy tapping, palmyrah climbers of a coastal village have taken to the sea, practicing sustainable fishing to conserve marine life and earn a livelihood
Shyok Valley farmers lack access to market
Despite growing apricots and apples, farmers in Shyok Valley in northern Ladakh are unable to turn a profit because lack of connectivity makes it difficult to sell their produce
Rural BPO centers in Bihar open new doors for girls
Business process outsourcing companies in rural Bihar are providing local job opportunities for educated, computer-literate girls in their village, empowering them socially and financially