Mango intercropping increases overall crop production

RAJSHAHI, July 20 (BSS): Mango intercropping not only increases overall crop production per unit area but also improves soil health and fertility.

The farmers in the region intercrop mango trees with various cereal crops, vegetables, and spices, as the practice also provides additional income and job opportunities for farmers.

Sources concerned unanimously viewed mango intercropping as a popular and economically beneficial agricultural practice in Rajshahi, predominantly in the vast Barind tract.

Mango mixed farming involves cultivating mangoes alongside other crops, primarily for additional income and efficient land use.

This practice, particularly intercropping with paddy, is gaining popularity in the region of Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Nawgaon districts. Farmers are also adopting the Ultra High Density Mango Planting (UHDMP) method for increased yields and income.

"I have an eight-bigha intercropping mango orchard. I am getting additional income from farming," said Mosharraf Hossain, a farmer of Bagha Upazila in the district.

In a sense, the inter-cropping has brought a new dimension in the mango farming sector along with its production and marketing, he added.

Shahinul Islam, 45, a farmer of Jhaluka village under Durgapur Upazila, said he cultivated five types of crops, vegetables and fruits on a bigha of land. Inside the mango orchard he cultivated papaya, chilli, ginger and lemon.