Struggling farmers find hope in India co-op

KIRAN Ramnath Waghchaure beams as he plucks deep-red grapes from his vines in India’s Maharashtra state, one of thousands of farmers reaping the benefits of a cooperative bringing hope to a long-suffering sector.

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FARMERS gathered inside a vineyard near Nashik. Agriculture is the backbone of India's rural-driven economy, employing more than 45% of the workforce.

(AFP)

Agriculture is the backbone of India’s rural-driven economy, employing more than 700 million people. But the industry has been mired in crisis for decades, with slow-moving reforms and growing vulnerability to climate change.

Often burdened by debts and crop failure, more than 3 090 farmers killed themselves in Maharashtra between 2022 and 2024.

“This new variety is better suited to the climate,” says Waghchaure, gesturing to the perfectly round, firm and sweet grapes that will soon be on European supermarket shelves thousands of kilometres away.

The 42-year-old credits Sahyadri Farms, a cooperative launched in 2011 by 110 small growers, which helps members cut costs and gain access to markets.