A few days ago, I shared a note with the Zizira team on Yammer, an internal communication platform, with my insights and musings on Zizira. I laid bare my thoughts, on where we are now, the challenges we are facing and the hopes. Interested to know what was in that note? Read on. Struggles & …
Learn More on Challenges & Needs of Indian Farmers
Meghalaya, like all the other states in India, is an agrarian state. Eighty-three percent of the population depend on agriculture. If we take a closer look, most of them are small-scale farmers. They face a lot of challenges, but are we doing enough to bring change to their lives? Do we know our fellow farmers? …
The Story of a Progressive Farmer Who Has Turned Tradition Profitable
The plainsmen of India ain’t seen nothin’ yet, as far rice goes. They stick to their Basmati and their polished versions of Dudheswar et al. That’s not the taste of health. For health you need to go to the hills, pick up something that you may not like to look at. Black sticky rice, for …
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Farmers Leaving Farming in Meghalaya! 4 Must Know Reasons
Similar to most of the states in India, Meghalaya also is an agrarian state where 83% of the population depends on agriculture. Through all of Zizira explorers’ numerous field visits we learnt that majority of the farmers in Meghalaya are small-scale farmers. Translated literally, this means that each such farmer holds no more than 0.2 hectares …
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Top 5 Challenges Faced by Northeast India Farmers
Challenges Faced by Northeast India Farmers Is Not Visible at First Glance Driving past the lush paddy fields and fruit laden trees of Shillong, one can’t help but feel envious of the people who work those fields. The beauty and serenity of their surroundings never cease to calm the white collar worker’s mind which is …
The Challenges of Being a Traditional Turmeric Farmer
The Jaintia Hills District of Meghalaya is home to the finest turmeric in the world with its “Lakadong” variety. Here, subsistence and marginal farmers cultivate turmeric for self-consumption and sale at the local markets. But that doesn’t take away the high demand it has both at the national and international spice market. Lakadong turmeric is …
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The Challenges and Potential Faced by Meghalaya’s Agriculture Sector
What Is Holding Back the Potential of Meghalaya’s Agriculture Sector? Meghalaya’s agricultural potential is yet to be unleashed. The state’s agrarian population is at a staggering 83%! And as impressive as that number may sound, the truth is far from it. In fact, the farmers of Meghalaya face numerous challenges and they have been struggling …
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The Truth About Why this Northeast India Farmer Sold His Cow
A Brief Insight Into the Plight of the Turmeric Farmers of Meghalaya “I sold my cow to pay for post-harvest turmeric processing thinking it would pay off, but it was not to be”, laments a Northeast India farmer from Mawtneng, a village in Ri-Bhoi district, which is about 35 km from Shillong. And when we …
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Khasi Mandarin of Meghalaya, a rare and unique citrus species
Know About Khasi Mandarin Try peeling a fresh Khasi mandarin, you’ll be amazed by its sweet aromatic juice, which makes the Khasi mandarin a favorite. The renowned Khasi Mandarin of Meghalaya has a tight and smooth skin that makes it different from other mandarin varieties. Though peeling the skin can get tricky at times but …
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Creating a Market for Farmers should be Top Priority – Mr. Barry Syiem, District Horticulture Officer
We recently met with Mr. Barry Syiem, District Horticulture Officer, South West Khasi Hills, Mawkyrwat who gave us valuable insights into his work. We were introduced to Mr. Syiem by none other than his brother Professor Don Syiem of NEHU! Dr. Don Syiem is also a foremost expert on a much celebrated herb called Lyngiangbru …
Bird’s Eye Chilli of Meghalaya – All the farmers in Dulongnar Village Grow it!
Visit to a Village Growing Bird’s Eye Chilli Bird’s eye chillies are common chillies of India. They are hot, but decent enough to be used regularly in Indian meals. They are grown organically widely in Meghalaya and provide great taste to your meals. It was mid October 2015 when Zizira explorers made a trip to …
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Next Generation Farmers Moving Away from Farming?
What happens if next generation farmers move away from farming in an agrarian economy? This question came up during a zizira field visit where the team met with farmers who have been following farming as that is what their parents did. “Meghalaya is basically an agricultural state with about 80% of its population depending entirely on …
What are the Challenges Farmers Face in Meghalaya?
“What are the challenges farmers face in Meghalaya” is the question upper most in the minds of the Zizira team members who go on field visits. Why is this an important question? Identifying the challenges farmers face in Meghalaya and understanding their concerns is one step closer to knowing how to release the potential of …