Tribal Farmers

A look at the 'many firsts' in tribal-welfare initiatives in India

Over the past decade, the Narendra Modi-led government has introduced a range of initiatives focussed on the holistic welfare of the tribal population, says the Bharatiya Janata Party

Aging farmers face extreme temperatures while harvesting Japan's rice crop

In the remote village of Kamimomi in Japan's western Okayama prefecture, a small group of rice farmers began their most recent harvest in sweltering heat, two weeks sooner than usual. The prefecture is called the Land of Sunshine because of its pleasant climate, but farmers working among the paddy fields and ancient rice terraces say that climate change is hurting the harvest of rice, long a cornerstone of Japan's diet. Last year, an exceptional heat wave took the water out of the rice, which became small and thin, rice farmer Joji Terasaka said. So I am worried about that this year because it will be just as hot." This year Japan experienced its hottest July on record, with temperatures reaching 2.16 C (3.9 F) higher than average, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The globe has seen a 1.2 C (2.2 F) rise in average temperature since preindustrial times, and scientists agree that warming needs to be capped at 1.5 C (2.7 F) to stave off the worst effects of climate change.

Animal husbandry emerging as reliable income source for Jharkhand farmers

Farmers and livestock rearers in rural Jharkhand are increasingly turning to animal husbandry as a promising source of additional income, an official said on Wednesday. It is providing them a safeguard from crop loss due to erratic weather patterns for the past few years. Jharkhand suffered a drought-like situation in two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. The state government had to declare 226 blocks as drought hit in 2022 and 158 blocks in 2023. The state recorded normal rainfall this monsoon season after two years. The Hemant Soren-led government has been providing essential support to boost animal husbandry as a promising source of additional income. For this, the government has launched Mukhyamantri Pashudhan Vikas Yojana (MPVY), which is aimed at boosting the production of milk, meat, and eggs, thereby narrowing the gap between demand and supply. "Amid the change in climate, our farmers need to adopt diverse farming. The state has huge demand for milk and meat but they ar

Integration of Andaman tribals into mainstream sparks mixed reactions

The gradual integration of tribals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands into mainstream society has sparked mixed reactions with some experts expressing concern that it could lead to their exploitation by outsiders, while others believe it is essential for their survival, advocating for education to help them adapt to societal changes. This trend is primarily noticed among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as Shompens, Jarawas (Ang), Onges, and the Great Andamanese who live in their respective reserved dense forests where non-tribals are barred. A watershed moment took place on April 19, 2024, when Nauaaw and six other Shompens, including Jetuwai, Thuwaee, and Chemai, voted in the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, marking a significant milestone for their community. Shompens are predominantly uncontacted nomadic hunters, with a population of 244 on Nicobar Island. Nicobar Island is currently in the news due to the Rs 72,000-crore international transshipment project

Politicians luring us with half-baked sops: Karnataka's Jenu Kuruba tribe

Crammed into a tiny room and learning for about five to six hours may not be what children look forward to. But it's obvious that the seven-odd children, aged between 3 and 10, are really happy to be sitting inside the spanking new anganwadi at the Nagarhole Gadde Hadi, a settlement consisting of about 60 families of the Jenu Kuruba tribe in the forests of Nagarhole in Karnataka. The children are aware that it's a privilege that no one before them had enjoyed the anganwadi is the only pucca construction in that forest settlement. The 12x12 room suddenly popped up in July last year, after years of cajoling, possibly because the election is round the corner, said anganwadi worker J K Bhagya. "We even got a toilet. Before this we were operating from a shed," she added, pointing to a bamboo structure with a tarpaulin for the roof next door. These few and far between sops for votes' are the reason why the Jenu Kuruba community, which is fighting the government for decades for even the

Centre is committed to empowering tribal communities: Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday emphasized the need for working towards empowering the tribal communities, and said that the Centre's motto is 'Sab ka Sath, Sab ka Vikas'

Engaging e-commerce firms to push goods made by tribals: Dharmendra Pradhan

The government is taking steps to enhance production and marketing of forest produce of tribal communities and engaging with e-commerce players like Amazon and Flipkart to push their sales, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday. He also said that the tribal community will be the major beneficiary of the emphasis of the National Education Policy on the use of mother tongue or local language as the medium. Briefing media about the steps being taken by the government for the welfare of tribals, the minister said that financial allocations under centrally sponsored schemes have been increased significantly. It was increased to Rs 91,000 crore in 2022-23 from Rs 19,437 crore in 2014-15, he said, adding funds are being pumped to open Eklavya Vidyalaya in the country to strengthen education ecosystem for them. He added that about 10 lakh tribal beneficiaries are connected with Van Dhan Vikas Kendras through 55,000 self-help groups. The objective of these centres is to ensur

SP fears BJP will bring back three farm laws after assembly polls

The Samajwadi Party expressed apprehension that the three contentious farm laws will be brought again after the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections

Success story: How 2 FPOs are rewriting the fate of tribal Odisha farmers

They have dispensed with middleman, get better crop prices

Tribal farmers call off protest as Maharashtra govt vows to fulfill demands

A delegation of 20 representatives led by Shinde later met Fadnavis and their meeting went on for over two hours