: In Assam, new rice varieties are a lifeline for farmers struggling to adapt to climate change #IndiaNEWS Before 2018, Ranjita Pegu lost a major portion of her rice crop every year during the kharif

In Assam, new rice varieties are a lifeline for farmers struggling to adapt to climate change #IndiaNEWS
Before 2018, Ranjita Pegu lost a major portion of her rice crop every year during the kharif season, from June to October. Flash floods would hit her 1.6-hectare low-lying farmland in Assam two to three times during the monsoon. Submerged underwater for long periods, the crop would scarcely be enough to meet her needs. The 28-year-old farmer from Namoni Serepai village in the district of Majuli could not even dream of selling any for extra income.Then, three years ago, Seven Sisters Development Assistance, a civil society organisation operating in India’s northeastern states, introduced Ranjita to new varieties of rice. The Bahadur Sub-1 and Ranjit Sub-1 are flood-tolerant varieties developed by the Assam Agricultural University.Ranjita and her husband Hemant sowed it as an experiment, and to their surprise found they could cultivate 10 times more produce. Previously, they had to sow 20 kg of rice to get 400 kg-500 kg. Now they use only 1 kg of rice to grow the same amount.They also adopted the System of Rice Intensification, a more sustainable farming method that aims to increase rice yield. “I now earn over Rs 50,000 per year by selling rice since 2018 and have started a poultry farm and bought a [vehicle],??? said Ranjita.Chronic floodsWith its...Read more

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