Agri. & Commodities
Intercropping a key to improve farmers income: ICRIER

New Delhi, Aug. 19 (PTI): An economic thinktank has advised farmers to cultivate two or more crops against the traditional one for better productivity and help raising their income.

"Even as India comprises of wide range soil and climatic conditions, the horticulture sector is constrained. Lack of good quality of seeds, inadequate irrigation and lack of soil testing facility are some of the major constraints," the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations said in a paper.

The organisation in a study titled "Can horticulture be a success story for India", said encouraging horticultural crop diversification by intercropping with non-horticultural ones helps in more food yield, increase farmers income and improve soil health.

According to the study, barring a few fruits the productivity of majority of the commodity has gone down in the decade ending 2003 in comparison to the world yield.

For example, it said the yield of citrus fruits, mango, sapota and pineapple in 2003 has declined as compared the level in 1993.

While the yield in mango has declined by 2.3 tonnes per hectare as on 2003 in comparison to 1993, those of citrus fruit and lemon declined by 0.5 tonnes per hectare and 1.2 tonnes per hectare respectively during the period under review.

Agri. & Commodities

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