New cropping pattern enables farming four crops annually

RANGPUR, Jan 4 (BSS): A newer cropping pattern, evolved and introduced by RDRS Bangladesh, effectively ensures sustainable crop intensification to increase food output by enabling the farmers cultivating four crops annually on the same land.

Side by side enhancing crop intensification to ensure food security, the newer cropping pattern of short duration Aman rice-mustard or potato-mungbean- short duration Aus (pariza) rice improves livelihoods of the poor creating jobs during seasonal lean periods.

Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of the NGO Mamunur Rashid said RDRS Bangladesh has introduced the new cropping pattern to increase food production for attaining sustainable food security amid adverse impacts of the climate change.

The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University under the financial assistances of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation in Rangpur division since 2011.

Only 400 farmers of eight districts under Rangpur division were involved in 2011 for field level experiment of the new cropping pattern that has been tested successfully in last couple of years and it has become popular now at farmer's level.