Agrarian distress due to poor rainfall in successive years, compounded by a shift in cropping patterns and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as loss of onfarm diversity were some of the important issues affecting the farmers in Tamil Nadu. With an aim to address these issues, and promote sustainable agriculture and secure livelihoods for the locals, WWF-India, in 2017, extended their support to communities living under Gundri and Koothampalayam Panchayats of Erode district in Tamil Nadu.
In 2015, Nataraj, a 43-year-old farmer, from Mahalidoddi village of Gundri Panchayat migrated to the industrial clusters of Erode district in Tamil Nadu in search of a stable job. Despite being a farmer for all his life, the recent spell of droughts in the region compelled Nataraj and many other farmers like him to migrate to nearby towns and cities for good. Even farmers who decided to stay behind and were involved in agriculture started growing cash crops, such as tapioca, maize, and turmeric, with routine use of chemicals and fertilizers, such as urea and di-ammonium phosphate. While on one hand, migration was at its peak, on the other, decrease in traditional agricultural practices was affecting the quality of soil and the produce. The recurrent drought also impacted the food habits of the locals changing it from millets to rice. Instead of growing their traditional millets and paddy, communities were now purchasing it from nearby shops even for daily consumption.
Agrarian distress due to poor rainfall in successive years, compounded by a shift in cropping patterns and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as loss of on-farm diversity were some of the important issues affecting the region. Also, a rapid survey with a beekeeping expert showed that pollinator guilds had been badly affected, likely by chemical use. With an aim to address these issues, and promote sustainable agriculture and secure livelihoods for the locals, WWF- India, in 2017, extended their support to communities living under Gundri and Koothampalayam Panchayats in Erode district. The two Panchayats are situated on the north-eastern flank of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve covering 15 hamlets with 1,200 families.
This story is from the March 2018 edition of TerraGreen.
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This story is from the March 2018 edition of TerraGreen.
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