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)
Best meal of the day': Akshaya Patra's kitchen in Nathwara, Rajasthan is the newest of its high-technology ones across India
In a country of 1.2 billion people, fast moving towards economic superpower hood, it is a reality check, and a hard one too, that the mover and shaker of things here remains nothing but food. Indeed it is food alone that spawns a giant ripple effect – starting from the levels of education and health to eventually how development in the country finally shapes up. For, you cannot build a country on empty stomachs. Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 10:23 AM

Article and Image Courtesy : One World South Asia

Author : Madhusmita Hazarika

Peace by peace cotton project' is bucking the trend in chemical farming to revive cotton fields in Odisha
An apt quote by the celebrated English author underlines the importance of agriculture to a nation. But it is a tragedy that the very occupation that feeds a nation should come to a predicament in an agricultural country such as India. Posted on 17 Mar, 2012 11:02 PM

Article and Image Courtesy : One World South Asia

Author : Madhusmita Hazarika

Improving farmers’ access to agricultural insurance in India - A World Bank working paper
This working paper by the World Bank provides a detailed overview of The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the entire policy process involved in the change over from the NAIS to the modified NAIS and beyond. India’s crop insurance program is the world’s largest with 25 million farmers insured. However, issues in design, particularly related to delays in claims settlement, have led to 95 million farmer households not being covered, despite significant government subsidy. Posted on 12 Mar, 2012 11:08 PM

To address this and other problems, the Government of India is piloting a modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, a market-based scheme with involvement from the private sector.

Implementation of the interlinking of rivers project (ILRP): Bangladesh raises concerns
The Indian Supreme Court’s (SC) recent verdict to implement the Interlinking of Rivers Project (ILRP) has added an additional element to the list of unresolved issues between India and Bangladesh with regard to water resources management in shared rivers. The people of Bangladesh have expressed their disappointment in various news media over the proposed Tipaimukh dam, lack of Teesta water sharing treaty, and the failure to implement the Ganges Treaty over the last 15 years. This new development (or re-surfacing of the old concept from 2002) on Inter-linking of River Project (ILRP) in India is a matter of concern. Posted on 12 Mar, 2012 11:50 AM

Author : Md. Khalequzzaman, P.D.

Climate change - Perspectives from India - A document published by UNDP, India
This document published by the UNDP includes a collection of articles and captures and disseminates some perspectives on climate change from the Indian context. Starting from an argument on a new climate deal to highlighting the importance of the small-scale industrial sector within climate change debates, some of India’s best known environmentalists, economists and policy makers have put forward their concerns and convictions in this collection. Posted on 10 Mar, 2012 06:08 PM

The document argues that climate change is no more an environmental concern. It has emerged as the biggest developmental challenge for the planet. Its economic impacts, particularly on the poor, make it a major governance issue as well. The debates and discussions building up for the next conference of parties (CoP) in Copenhagen and beyond are an indicator of this.

The seed map - food, farmers and climate chaos: Shows the state of global agro-biodiversity today
The way to safeguard our food supply in the midst of climate chaos is by using and adapting the plant and animal genetic diversity that rural peoples have bred and nurtured over 10,000 years. Most of this diversity is in the global south. But rural communities are under intense threat from industrial farming, agro-chemical monopolies, the north's trade policies and technological fixes. Posted on 06 Mar, 2012 06:38 PM

Article Courtesy : Seedmap

Does it ever rain at this time? Poignant, short film capturing the story of the after-effects of unexpected heavy rain in Akola
This film by Voice WOTR captures the story of the after-effects of unexpected heavy rain in Akola Posted on 06 Mar, 2012 06:17 PM

Video Courtesy: Voice WOTR

Drafting a new National water policy, 2012 without consulting the farmers would be meaningless
The efforts of Union Ministry of Water Resources and Central Water Commission to initiate a new National Water Policy is welcome.
After going through the draft of National Water Policy 2012 (draft NWP 2012) and summary record of various consultations related to it, the following comments / suggestions, particularly related to participatory irrigation management aspects, are offered for consideration:
Posted on 04 Mar, 2012 11:02 PM

Author : Phanish Sinha

Some ideas to save water in huge quantities: Letter to the 2012 Draft National Water Policy Committee
This note presents some ideas by which we can save water in huge quantities. Posted on 01 Mar, 2012 03:03 PM

Author: Shyam  Agrawal

Utilisation of human urine as a source of nutrients for banana and maize cultivation - A compilation of research papers
These papers describe the findings of experiments conducted in the fields in Nagasandra village, Doddaballapura Tq, Bangalore district for one year that studied the usefulness and impact of anthropogenic liquid waste (human urine) as a source of plant nutrient for banana and maize cultivation and evaluated the impact of the use of human urine on crop quality and yield. Posted on 01 Mar, 2012 02:24 PM

Source separated anthropogenic liquid waste (Human urine) - A potential plant nutrient for banana cultivation

×