The first point of this overview will be devoted to dairy farming. India, which possesses leading bovine and buffalo livestock, is a leading world milk producer. They are very important since animals represent a substantial source of revenues for farmers in rural India.
For dairy production, the farming is usually done within the families ; each family having on average one or two cows. Once the milk is collected in the villages, it can either be directly sold, or go through cooperatives, where it will be trans-formed.
The women’s part should not be disregarded in the dairy farming. Indeed, they are the ones who manage the cattle rearing : they feed the animals, take care of them, call the veterinary surgeon, clean the cowsheds…
They are also the ones who milk the cows and who will then be selling the milk. This activity is thus very important since it favours their empowerment in a significant way at the social and economic level.
The second point of this overview deals with the organic agricultural promotion in the villages especially thanks to the use of cow dung.
Indeed, promoting an organic farming is very important because there is a real need to develop agricultural economic activities so that farmers can keep their lands and work to reach auto-sufficiency, according to the gandhian principle of swaraj.
Ekta Parishad wishes that people will be able to continue live on their land thanks to the development of the economy in the villages and is therefore supporting them to this aim.
Source: Jan Satyagraha News – May 2010
Some articles on Ektas Parishad’s activity:
Twelve years of women struggle supported by Ekta Parishad
Ekta Parishad is scaling up the poor people’s power for Land rights in India
Khadi : The national fabric of India
