New drought monitoring tool gives hope of better preparation, mitigation at farmer level

State-level workshops will be conducted to help users interpret data from the system

Water, Marathwada women’s woe: No brides for farmers as families look for city matches

Access to water, better infra drive marriage prospects as women yearn for more 'comfortable' lives

As told to Parliament (September 21, 2020): No data on farmers’ suicides, admits government

All that was discussed in the Houses through the day  

No basic facilities, no vote, say residents of 160 villages

Lack of facilities like electricity, water and roads makes villagers in 14 states boycott the Lok Sabha elections

Rewind 2018: How farming hogged headlines, yet not spotlight

The country saw a host of agricultural protests, policies, disputes and distress in 2018; here’s all of it

Can goats secure livelihood for small and marginal farmers?

The Centre's discussions on boosting the goat sector to double farmers’ incomes may be futile if fodder and grazing lands, both …

Rural households have higher debt than urban counterparts: NSSO report

The debt in rural households is higher, even though their total assets are less than urban households  

Smita Narula on Farmer Suicides

Did you know that every 30 minutes a farmer commits suicide in India? Listen to Smita Narula, faculty director at the Center for Human Rights and …

In the name of the farmer

Illnesses were behind half the suicides in Punjab in 2021

Healthcare costs too high, farmers at risk due to pesticide use says expert

Every day, 28 people dependent on farming die by suicide in India

People in the farm sector accounted for 7.4 per cent of the total suicides in India, according to the latest NCRB report 

Scientist meets bumpkin

Aparna Pallavi on what happens when farmers' innovations are brought to the notice of agriculture scientists 

Amrit kaal for adivasis? Union Budget 2023-24 weakens safety nets for tribals

Schemes for food security, child welfare, employment guarantee for tribals saw shrinking of funds

Sealed Nepal border, reverse migration puts villagers in Bihar's border town in a spot

The farmers in flood-prone villages lost access to a more lucrative market in Nepal, resort to distress sales to cut losses 

As told to Parliament (June 25, 2019): Fewer claim settlements didn't affect farmers

All that was discussed in the House through the day

Maharashtra rejects more agri insurance claims even as farm suicides double

No data on suicides across India since 2015; number of claim rejections far exceeded number of cases approved in 2016-18

Jharkhand’s success story of fruit plantation under MGNREGA

The state’s experience in horticulture orchards can serve as a model for the country

Bhavantar Yojna: MP farmers refuse to sign up for 2nd round

Most of the over 200 farmers Down To Earth talked to in 6 villages of Hoshangabad and Sehore districts said they would not register for the …

Modi sedates the farmer

The BJP is repackaging old schemes and offering cosmetic changes to the agrarian policy

Tikait on Green revolution

When asked to comment on the green revolution, Mahendra singh Tikait, Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) leader relates it to issues of organic …

Tikait on farmer loans

Here's a sneak preview of BKU (Bharat Kisan Union) Leader Mahendra Singh Tikait's tête-á-tête with DTE on farmers' income, …

The amendment to the Indian Forest Act, 1927 will create new markets & jobs for poor communities

After amending Section 2(7) of Indian Forest Act, 1927, bamboo is no longer a tree. This enables the livelihoods of forest communities as well as …

What monsoon holds for India in 2015

From forecasts over El Niño to fears of economic loss, many predictions in the last week have raised eyebrows

Common Facility Centre: A rallying point for SHG-FPO convergence

There is much to gain for FPOs if they converge with local SHGs. Nothing is more amenable for SHGs than delegating the responsibility of building …

Why we need to study day-to-day weather

While the link between summer monsoon and agriculture has been thoroughly researched, there is absence of deliberation over the impact of rains …