Rainfed Agriculture

Featured Articles
August 10, 2022
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.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
June 19, 2022
Hidden treasure: Adivasi’s traditional food diversity
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
Non pesticide management – a viable alternative
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
Scaling up sustainable agriculture critical to improve farm incomes
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
COVID-19 and social protection: Impact in the agriculture sector
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
Strengthening the frontline for water security
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)
Could the water towers of Asia be drying up soon?
As climate change and urbanisation threaten water security in the HKH region, there is an urgent need for good water governance.
Christopher A. Scott et al
Posted on 24 Mar, 2019 11:03 AM

The Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) cover 3500 kms across eight countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Smart farming changes farms, fortunes in Bengal
Farmers of West Bengal are resorting to rice transplanters and zero tiller machines to save water and labour cost and to increase productivity.
Gurvinder Singh
Posted on 14 Mar, 2019 03:55 PM

Gulam Mustafa owns around five acres of land at Digalhati Moynaguri village in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. The 34-year-old has switched to “smart farming” to minimise labour cost and water use.
Gulam Mustafa with the rice planter. (Photo by Gurvinder Singh)
Only 31 pc big projects done under AIBP
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 27 Feb, 2019 01:05 PM

In a decade, only a quarter of centrally funded major to medium irrigation schemes completed: Report
Irrigation canal from the Bhima dam. (Source: Nvvchar on Wikipedia)
Income support: Budget 2019 showstopper
Will direct income support boost agriculture and shift focus from country’s food security to farmers’ income security?
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 11 Feb, 2019 07:04 PM

The decline in public, as well as private investment, has led to a slowdown in the growth of agriculture and allied sectors in the last five years. The crisis in the agrarian sector had intensified over the last few years. It is now the political talking point with many farmers' rallies, marches and protests being held all over the country.
For doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022, the slew of measures proposed under the budget is inadequate. (Image: Azhar Feder, Wikimedia Commons-CC-BY-SA-3.0)
Can we gain from changing rains?
While changing rainfall patterns, increased frequency of cyclones, droughts and floods threaten food and water security in India, adaptation strategies to cope with these changes are crucial.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 07 Feb, 2019 12:30 PM

India is undergoing a major transition with changes in rainfall patterns leading to increased frequency of droughts, floods, heat waves amidst fear of a major water crisis in the years to come. Why are these threats increasing?
Changing rainfall patterns in India (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Budget 2019 allocates income support package for farmers
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 05 Feb, 2019 06:12 PM

Identify farmers for income support scheme: NITI Aayog to states
A devastated farmer in Maharashtra (Image source: IWP Flickr photos)
Sunderbans tagged under Ramsar Convention
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 05 Feb, 2019 05:41 PM

Indian Sunderbans gets recognition under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 
Mangroves of the Sunderbans (Source: Nature Environment & Wildlife Society - NEWS)
No water in the rice bowl
Thousands of farmers in Bardhaman district, known as the rice bowl of West Bengal, are suffering huge losses due to the shortage of water.
Gurvinder Singh
Posted on 14 Dec, 2018 10:02 PM

Nikhil Bagdi has attempted suicide twice in the past one month. Fortunately, his neighbours came to his rescue whenever he tried to end his life by hanging from the ceiling of his room. Nikhil lives in Serorai village of Bardhaman district in West Bengal, a little over 120 kilometres from Kolkata. 
Nikhil Bagdi at his paddy field. (Photo: Gurvinder Singh)
Dealing with droughts
There are many reasons why we see more droughts in India these days. Here is all the information that you need to know droughts better.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 13 Dec, 2018 04:20 PM

Droughts are one of the most feared natural calamities in India impacting food production, the economy as well as the morale of millions of farmers in a cou
India will see more droughts in the future. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
A future without water?
Once abundant with water, Sikri village is fighting a losing battle to meet its water needs.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 11 Dec, 2018 01:17 PM

Sikri is a small village that lies 65 km north-west of Bharatpur on the Alwar road. The village used to depend on a traditional irrigation system that assured water throughout the year. A local saying related to the water availability at Sikri goes thus: Lakh daal le chittri, jay rahoongi Sikri (You may put lakhs of fetters to stop it, but the waters will still reach Sikri).
An off-taking canal that promoted flow irrigation. The system has become a relic of the past. There is a demand to revive this colonial irrigation system whose bund is over 17-km long and has 28 distributaries. (Image: India Water Portal)
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