Latest statistics show that rural income in India has largely been unaffected by the economic shutdown. Call it a new adventurism or entrepreneurship, but most farmers have switched to alternate revenue channels like new crops, horticulture, poultry, fisheries and activities, which are less rain dependent. In Madhya Pradesh, it is Soya bean, in Nasik it is vegetable farming whereas in Gujarat, it is milk, potatoes, pomegranate and papaya, which have trebled the income of the villagers. Theni, near Madhurai, switched to grape cultivation allowing it to compete in world markets. India is the largest producer and exporter of mint oil which is literally minting money for its farmer in Andhra.
Technical training given to women by projects like Kudumbashree in Kerala has empowered a lot of women by synergy of its potential. Schemes like NREGA with its power reforms, water harvesting and education particularly computer has helped the rural population. It also provides work and land to child widows in Rajasthan. Internet connectivity and new channels of communication give them access to data on new varieties of crops, innovative farming, machinery, weather forecasts etc. Better roads facilitate faster transport of products to markets, while knowledge of pricing help farmers to get reasonable revenue from their products without depending on intermediaries. .India grows, through its villagers and agriculture like vision of our Father of the Nation.
The drip irrigation systems now popularized help the draught areas like Telengana , where 70% of the national requirements of the red jowar seeds are produced.
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