Rainfed Agriculture

Featured Articles
August 10, 2022 The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
June 19, 2022 Odisha Millets Mission is trying to bring back the glory of millets in tribal areas
A range of millet recipes and ready to cook items are sold by Millets on Wheels in Jashipur block in Mayurbhanj district. This initiative is supported by Odisha Millets Mission (Image: Odisha Millets Mission)
May 25, 2022 A study assesses the impact of the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming programme
The APCNF policy promotes zero synthetic chemical inputs (Image: Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Facebook Page)
April 24, 2021 Study by CEEW proposes several measures for promoting sustainable agricultural practices and systems, including restructured government support and rigorous evidence generation
SRI rice field (Image: Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0)
April 1, 2021 Lower transaction costs, minimal leakages, and immediate delivery make a strong case for direct cash transfers, says study.
Access to credit increased farmers' expenditures on farm-related activities. (Image: Pixy.org)
March 12, 2021 Challenges and aspirations of community champions and how programs can address them
Kalyani Dash works with 150 households in the village directly and trains them on chemical-free farming techniques, water secure crop production, efficient water use in agriculture for a sustainable farming future as well as kitchen and nutrition gardening. (Image: FES)
A successful model of integrated farming system in Koraput
Integrated rice–fish-poultry farming system is a sound strategy for harmonizing joint management of various resources Posted on 03 Dec, 2022 07:12 AM

Rapid population growth is leading to land fragmentation and reducing the amount of cultivable land available to owners. This trend of declining land ownership combined with natural disasters is reducing the viability and sustainability of agriculture.

Mangaraj's farm is a model for the region (Image: Tripati Khura)
Shrinkage of aus rice in eastern India
A paper looks at the darker side of agricultural intensification - disappearance of autumn or aus rice, entry of high yield varieties, and implications in terms of environmental sustainability in West Bengal Posted on 12 Oct, 2022 01:13 PM

Agricultural intensification riding on the Green Revolution ushered bountiful production of selected staples (rice, wheat, maize) in the developing nations and caused a significant economic growth.

Rice has undergone an unprecedented rise in production and yield during the green revolution (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
Taming water - Irrigation and drought protection in colonial India and the present
The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today. Posted on 10 Aug, 2022 07:12 AM

Following independence and with the advent of the green revolution, agriculture in India has been based on input intensive farming, and agricultural policies and investments continue to support irrigated agriculture. This excessive focus on irrigated agriculture has led to the neglect of rainfed agriculture.

Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
Fragmented waterscapes increase risk of Japanese encephalitis
This first of its kind study found that fragmented water landscapes increased the risk of Japanese Encephalitis by providing more opportunities for mosquito breeding and transmission of the virus from animals to humans via animal hosts. Posted on 25 Jul, 2022 04:13 AM

Japanese encephalitis (JE) - a mosquito borne viral disease, is one of the important causes for childhood mortality in Asia. India has a high burden of the disease with 13.7 percent of 63, 854 acute encephalitis cases from 2010 to 2017 caused due to Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) leading to deaths in 17 percent of these cases with the north-east being a perennial hotspot for outbreaks.

Stagnant waters can encourage mosquito breeding and increase risk of diseases (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Hidden treasure: Adivasi’s traditional food diversity
Odisha Millets Mission is trying to bring back the glory of millets in tribal areas Posted on 19 Jun, 2022 01:15 PM

Often overlooked in food security policies, indigenous uncultivated wild food and traditional crops is a major source of dietary diversity for tribal communities since millennia.

A range of millet recipes and ready to cook items are sold by Millets on Wheels in Jashipur block in Mayurbhanj district. This initiative is supported by Odisha Millets Mission (Image: Odisha Millets Mission)
Climate change and transition in cropping patterns in West Bengal
Crop choice decisions made by the farmers largely depend on the infrastructure facilities, technology applied and ecological conditions Posted on 26 May, 2022 01:35 PM

With changing climatic and market conditions, Indian agriculture sector needs appropriate transition in cropping patterns to ensure sustainability in growth of the sector and inclusiveness of land-constrained farmers in the intensification process.

The presence of infrastructure facilities influence crop choice in favour of non-foodgrains (Image: UN Women/Ashutosh Negi)
Planetary consequences of the mismanagement of land resources
UN offers stark warnings and practical remedies in Global Land Outlook 2 Posted on 26 May, 2022 09:13 AM

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification's (UNCCD) evidence-based flagship Global Land Outlook 2 (GLO2) report states that “as food prices soar amid rapid climate and other planetary changes, “crisis footing” needed to conserve, restore and use land sustainably.” The report is the most comprehensive consolidation of information on the topic ever assembled.

Every country can design and implement a tailored land restoration agenda to meet their development needs. (Image: PxHere)
Long-term resilience through MGNREGS assets
The report by IIED identifies policy and design opportunities through which the provision of assets under MGNREGS can improve the long-term resilience of rural beneficiaries. Posted on 23 Apr, 2022 11:47 AM

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is one of the largest social protection programmes in the world, providing guarantee of income to some 55 million people every year.

Work in progress at an NREGA site under 'apna khet, apna kaam' (my field, my work). Medhbanchi, Dungarpur, Rajasthan (Image: UN Woemn Asia and Pacific/Gaganjeet Singh)
Kudrati kheti (natural farming) - A manual in Hindi
Farming the natural way - going back to the age old traditions and practices Posted on 01 Sep, 2021 05:04 PM

This manual (third edition) in Hindi developed by Rajinder Chaudhary on natural farming, also known as organic, zero budget or alternative farming, is an attempt to spread awareness among Indian farmers about the above sustainable agriculture methods.

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