Purnima Mondal with her two daughters The rural economy is the backbone of Bengal’s financial resources. It holds significant potential for creating decent and productive jobs, eradicating poverty, ensuring food security, and achieving social justice. Marginalized people are forming self-help groups in various sectors like handicrafts,
The district of Malda is traditionally known for its mangoes which have an international reach. But now the farmers of Habibpur block have introduced a new medicinal herb cultivation that has shown great promise as a cash crop. Recently, Malda District Magistrate visited Habibpur to inspect the
For almost 17 years now, I have single-handedly collected almost 400 seeds of indigenous paddy, out of which 14 varieties are from Bengal itself. In 2002, thanks to Dr Dhabaleshwar Konar, the organic farm that I had developed in Phulia got recognition as one of
For almost 17 years now, I have single-handedly collected almost 400 seeds of indigenous paddy, out of which 14 varieties are from Bengal itself. In 2002, thanks to Dr Dhabaleshwar Konar, the organic farm that I had developed in Phulia got recognition as one of the best
FDue to globalization, now we have the opportunity to experience almost everything from every part of the world sitting in the cozy corner of one’s room. Just like other commodities, seeds of different plants which are highly in demand are also transferred from one place
(The author is the founder of 'Patharpratima Runners', an organization for cultivation and seed conservation). Traditionally, the low-lying delta of Sundarbans was fertile land and in the kharif season, there used to be a substantial yield of various types of indigenous rice varieties without the use of any
All these years there was a perception that southern states of India grow the ever-worldwide popular coconut in abundance and hence help in the export and marketing of coconuts worldwide, boosting the rural agro-economy. However, West Bengal is not far behind. Thanks to the Coconut Development Board
‘Save Trees, Save plants, Save Birds, Save Waterbodies’…. But what about saving seeds? And that too seeds of indigenous varieties of crops that were harvested probably by our ancestors decades ago and lost the race to high yielding, genetically modified, costly cousins that have flooded the
Aparupa Basu is a freelance video editor and has a passion for travelling If you have heard of the Valley of Flowers, high up in the Himalayas, you cannot miss the charm of West Bengal’s Khirai, where tracks of flowers of different hues will leave you
When the aroma of exotic kesar (saffron) spice mix, subtle rose (gulab), and oh-so-tender lamb meat emanates from the handi (container), you invariably imagine being transported into the exclusive gourmet world of biryani cooked in the royal Awadhi dum-pukht style for the nawabs. The x-factor