Muslim Uddin, an agricultural entrepreneur at Katachhara in Mirsarai upazila of Chattogram, has made a success of growing papaya, chilli and taro on the same land using the sorjan method of alternating raised beds and ditches. Growing three crops at once on one bigha, he has already earned well.

Rows of papaya trees stand on his land, each heavy with fruit. Year-round chilli is grown alongside as a companion crop, and wood taro (kathkochu) is planted in the low ditches. All three crops have yielded well.

Muslim Uddin said he grew the three crops on one bigha for the cost of one. He has already earned well from chilli and taro and expects about Tk 5 lakh from papaya. Seeing his success, many farmers in the area have become interested in the sorjan method and come to his field for advice; local farmers crowd the plot every day.

Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said four sorjan demonstration plots had been allotted in the upazila, and Muslim Uddin's field is one of them, with chilli and taro grown as intercrops with papaya.

Growing several crops on the same land raises farmers' income and makes the fullest use of the land, the officer said, and he hopes other farmers will take up the method after seeing Muslim Uddin's example.

Reported by Agricare24.

Source: Agricare24