Hyderabad: Suryapet District Collector Tejas Nand Lal Pawar urged farmers to adopt crop diversification to improve farm incomes and reduce cultivation risks.
The Collector inspected farmer Pasham Venkata Reddy’s two-acre field and reviewed his multi-crop farming model. Venkata Reddy grows six crops on the farm.
These include ridge gourd, chilli, okra, brinjal, bottle gourd and marigold. By growing different crops, he seeks to limit losses from dependence on a single crop.
Pawar enquired about cultivation methods, crop yields and marketing arrangements. Venkata Reddy explained the expected returns from his different crops.
On 30 guntas, the farmer grows chilli and expects a yield of around 10 tonnes. Similarly, he expects about four tonnes of ridge gourd.
He also expects 1.5 to two tonnes of marigold. Meanwhile, his okra and bottle gourd crops together could produce nearly one tonne.
Venkata Reddy told the Collector that crop diversification helped him spread cultivation risks. Moreover, the approach provided him with a continuous source of income.
Pawar appreciated the farmer’s approach. He also encouraged other farmers to consider similar methods suited to their local conditions.
Crop diversification supports organic farming practices
Later, the Collector visited a five-acre dragon fruit farm at Srinivasapuram village. Farmer Parupalli Srinivasa Rao, known as Sri Sri, grows dragon fruit entirely through organic methods.
Pawar interacted with Rao and sought details about crop yields and intercropping practices. He then advised him to adopt suitable intercrops to improve profitability.
Furthermore, the Collector suggested planting different varieties of trees along the field bunds. Such trees could provide an additional source of income.
Pawar encouraged farmers to combine crop diversification with organic and integrated cultivation practices. According to him, these methods could improve farm incomes and reduce cultivation risks.