In the arid corners of Dharashiv district, Maharashtra, farming has always been a test of resilience. With erratic rainfall and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, local farmers struggle to farm crops like sugar cane and soybeans. Sangamitra Ankushrao, a 42-year-old farmer from Bamni village, knows this battle all too well. Her family endured years of losses due to poor seed choices and chemical dependence. But she’s breaking the cycle—through homegrown seeds, drip irrigation, and polyculture techniques like the “sari method,” which diversifies crops to safeguard against losses.
🌱 Learning from Tradition, Leading with Innovation
Sangamitra’s transformation didn’t happen in isolation. It was nurtured by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a grassroots women’s empowerment group teaching sustainable agriculture. SSP’s training blends ancestral wisdom—like predicting rainfall through interpreting bird nesting habits —with modern tools like seed drills and rainwater harvesting. Beyond farming, these women are learning economic skills and reclaiming agency in a male-dominated sector. Using natural fertilizers and mixed cropping has allowed Sangamitra to survive and even thrive despite the challenging climateconditions.
Ownership remains the ultimate power shift. With SSP's help, women like widow Suvarna Mote have gained rights to land—no small feat in a system that traditionally sidelines female farmers. Suvarna has turned her fields into thriving, pesticide-free plots that are more resistant to climate shocks. Thanks to SSP’s help, more than 16,000 women in the region now hold land titles.
This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.