-The Hindu Amid stories of farmers struggling to sell their produce due to the lockdown, there is also a ray of hope in those who sell locally, creating more self-sufficient communities Vegetables are the new gold. Whoever thought one would dream of roasted potato and carrot raita? These are strange times. After we venture out to buy them, mask and gloves on, we (hopefully) return triumphant, our bags bulging with carrots, beans,...

-Hindustan Times Seema Kulkarni of the Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (Soppecom), Pune speaks about supporting 500 single and widowed women who do not have ration cards or bank accounts, access food supplies * What is the situation of agricultural village economy in Maharashtra after the lockdown? Maharashtra has been facing an agrarian crisis for some time now. Post-COVID-19 and the lockdown the situation has only worsened. Harvesting operations have come to...

-TheWire.in Racist and communal poison, backed by a section of the media and intelligentsia, has long been a staple of politics. In these days of COVID-19, I am spending a lot of time catching up on history and it is clear that there are deep connections between the evils of our present times and what happened in days gone by. Whenever there is a clash between truth and belief, there is politics...

-TheWire.in At a time when the Rabi crop is ready for harvest and the Kharif crop will be sown, quick and effective policy responses are required. Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, India has announced a nationwide 21-day lockdown, shutting down all businesses except essential services. The government has assured that the supply of food items and other necessities won’t be hindered during this period. While social distancing has been adopted as a measure...

-Newsclick.in “Since many farmers are afraid to reach the regular markets, the local vendors are taking advantage of it. They are then selling the vegetables at a higher cost to the customers,” said Subramani, a farmer. With no announcement regarding any relief measures, the farmers across the state are staring at an imminent setback. The lack of transportation facilities, labourers and unwarranted police action continue to hamper the farming sector during the...