Steps are being taken towards potato cultivation and coconut production
Raipur, 15 February 2021. Farmers of Sukma district have started preparing potato cultivation and coconut plantation in addition to paddy, maize and vegetable-vegetable cultivation. Now they are working to improve their economic condition by adopting other agricultural based activities like fish farming, poultry farming, animal husbandry along with cultivation of Kharif and Rabi crops. In this endeavor of farmers, Surajji village scheme of Chhattisgarh government has helped a lot. Treatment of drainage (Narva) has increased water availability and area of irrigation in Vananchal, which has directly benefited the farmers. Farmers of Sukma region are now cultivating dual crops as well as cash crops, taking advantage of irrigation facilities from canals, drains and renovations and tubewells.
Farmers of village Nagaras, about 20 km from the district headquarters, have cultivated potatoes on their 3 acres of agricultural land. He has cultivated potatoes after taking paddy crop due to the sandy soil and favorable climate for growing potatoes. Good yield is expected given the crop situation. Potato is a rabi crop, so water requirement is less. They have installed a drip system to provide water to the crop with the help of borewells in the field. Potato crop is ready in about 120 days. Potato bumper production is expected by March.
Seeing the demand of coconut, now the farmers of village panchayat Urmapal of Chhindgarh development block are busy in preparing coconut garden. Border state of Orissa in Sukma zone during summer Coconuts come from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for sale. The farmers of Urmapal, Barse Ganga Ram and Barse Manmohan Brij, showed interest in coconut plantation besides paddy in view of adequate water facility in their fields. Farmers said that 50 nos. Of coconut species of Kerachandra was given for planting saplings in the financial year 2016-17 by Sukma, Department of Agriculture. Farmers planted these plants in the ridges of the field. By which they continue to receive additional income. After two years, the fruits of coconut trees started growing completely and now fruits are also coming. Farmers are expecting good income from coconut production. Once the coconut tree is planted, it grows for 40–45 years. A coconut tree produces about 200 fruits a year. Farmers are confident of earning around two lakh rupees this year from coconut trees.
