Push for mixed cropping to ensure sustainable income for farmers in Odisha

ROURKELA: The agriculture authorities of rain-fed Sundargarh district are encouraging farmers, especially small and marginal ones, to adopt intercropping and mixed cropping techniques to ensure sustainable income for them with profitable and risk mitigating practices.They said intercropping involves the practice of cultivating two or more crops simultaneously on the same farm plot with a specific row arrangement. It aims to enhance use of resources like sunlight, water and nutrients to increase productivity and help in better management of pest and disease control measures.Mallick said traditionally, majority of tribal farmers are inclined towards paddy cultivation. However, these farmers ignore that paddy farming is labour intensive, the crop carries less remuneration and is vulnerable to erratic rainfall.

He said for several years, intercropping and mixed cropping practices are being promoted in Sundargarh. Intercropping or mixed cropping is carried out on a minimum of 0.5 acre of land. If one of the crops fails, the farmer concerned is compensated with another crop. Farmers can also reap benefits with rise in cropping intensity and go for multiple cultivations after harvesting, added the CDAO.

Meanwhile, mixed cropping sees farming of two or more crops simultaneously on the same farm plot without any specific pattern or arrangement. It is largely targeted to curb risk of crop failure due to pest or disease attacks or for unfavourable weather conditions.

Agriculture officials said in the ongoing kharif season, a target has been set to popularise and cover around 7,000 hectare of farmland with intercropping and mixed cropping techniques by combining paddy+arhar, paddy+moong/biri and groundnut+arhar, arhar+millet, among others.