Raikia: Cultivation of cauliflowers and beans has given a new identity to farmers here in Kandhamal district while the craze for traditional crops like ginger, turmeric and collection of minor forest produce was found on the wane, a report said.
A rise in demand for both the crops and improvement in marketing facilities have made the cultivation more rewarding to farmers than other crops like brinjal, tomato and potato.
The major markets for the produce are Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.
These two crops are mostly produced in Latedi, Sugadbadi, Japakuta, Gamandi, Manikeshwar, Sikaketa, Badabangi, Dadingia, Bearpanga, Mandakia, Laburi and Bakingia areas of this block.
The area covered by cauliflower and beans cultivation has been increasing with each passing year.
According to official sources, in 2014-15 fiscal 1,863 hectare of land was under cauliflower and bean cultivation while in 2015-16 it jumped to 1,993 hectare. This year, the area covered by the two crops has increased to over 2,000 hectare, the sources said.
The climate in the district which compared to the coastal districts remains mostly cold throughout the year is conducive to vegetable cultivation.
A farmer earns anything between `50,000 and `60,000 annually from the two crops with an investment of `10,000 to `15,000.
However, with only 35 per cent of farmland getting irrigation facilities, farmers in this region have to depend on good monsoon.
An irrigation project is lying defunct in the district due to lack of maintenance and supervision. Under these circumstances, barring a few places, farmers in most parts go for cauliflower and bean cultivation during the rainy season and harvest them during the period between June and December.
Moreover, except in case of low-pressure triggered rainfall there are little chances of damage to cauliflower and bean crops.
Farmers of areas having irrigation facilities take up cauliflower and beans cultivation also during the Rabi season.
However, lack of cold storage facility, provision of input subsidy, crop insurance and technical assistance to farmers are some of the areas the department needs to look into to boost production.
Raikia horticulture overseer Kailash Nayak said there are no provisions for vegetable farmers except supplying them hybrid seeds in December. PNN
