One thousand four hundred kilometres from mainland India, the Andaman islands have an undulating terrain, from hills to coastal zones. One of the main occupations of the people of Andamans is agriculture.
Despite the challenges, the farmers in Andaman are determined to make it work. And one of the favourite crops is supari – or arecanut.
Because of the scarcity of labour and limited technology to process these arecanuts, women play an important role in contributing to the agriculture in Andamans. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, neighbour and friend, women usually sit around in groups to dehusk the dried arecanut to earn a small income, contribute to their family, and add to their savings.
This is their story.