An apple tree on a rooftop? It may sound unbelievable, but Pulak Jowardar, a science teacher at Bardakanta Vidyapith in Siliguri, has made it a reality. More than just a teacher, he is a true plant enthusiast. For the past two decades, he has been growing a wide variety
Bengalis and tea share an unbreakable bond. The whole world is enamoured with the charm of Darjeeling tea. However, coffee cultivation has also been taking place in North Bengal for quite some time. Due to a lack of proper initiatives, it had not gained commercial
Millets, once overshadowed by rice and wheat in West Bengal, are now gaining momentum thanks to the efforts of the Switch On Foundation. Led by Vinay Jaju, the foundation is working tirelessly to revive millet cultivation in the region and promote it as a healthy alternative
Tribal women of Bengal’s Jhargram are now turning trendsetters in organic indigenous rice farming that is bringing huge profits pegging to almost 3 crores a year. They have created a model that can be followed by rest of India. West Bengal down centuries had its
Once upon a time Bengal had more than 5,000 region-specific, indigenous varieties of rice, and the erstwhile Province of Bengal had as many as 10,000 varieties! Surprised? Please do not be. These are hard facts and data collected from various libraries and sources. Take for
India has been abuzz with a special Japanese mango, Taiyo No Tamago, being cultivated in Jabalpur under tight security, including guards and dogs to protect them. Though we kept discussing about this mango variety, that is considered to be the world’s most costly mango, we
Hardly did I imagine while taking a cab from Durgapur, that my quest to explore Bengal’s traditional paddy would end up in a quaint mud hut, tucked amidst serene fields, with walls depicting a passionate tale of a farmer’s son, who left his home to
Conservation and intensifying cultivation of traditional crop varieties is a prime way to cope up with future food crisis. Genetic diversity is also essential for sustainable agriculture. Recently, news of catalyzing M Jamini, a new form of paddy seed made quite a stir in the
Organic Haat, Rajarhat Here is some good grand news for health freaks of Bengal. The first Organic Haat has been opened by the Agricultural Marketing Department of the Government of West Bengal, very close to the Biswa Bangla Gate in Jatragachi. It aims to give the people of Kolkata and
Local women of Takipara or ‘Mukto-Gram’ village have been cultivating pearls in the ponds in Dumurdaha-Takipara area since 2016. Initiated by the Government of West Bengal under the guidance of the Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee, the project, ‘Augmentation of Alternative Livelihood Options of Fishermen through Comprehensive Development (Integrated Farming) in