Farmer Lists Gains Of Mixed Cropping

A farmer, Mr Waneri
Okirigwe has called on farmers in the state to include short term crops in their farms to enable them harvest before the main crop.
Okirigwe who stated this while speaking to our correspondent in Port Harcourt, yesterday said cassava farmers should include maize, groundnut, pumpkin, sweet potato among others, to enable them reap while waiting for the main crop to mature.
According to him, most of the crops planted side by side with the main crops take between three to four months to mature while the main crop (cassava) takes between six to nine months to mature.
He said farmers should discard the belief that such methods hinder the growth of the main crop, adding that at maturity they even enhance soil nutritional value.
He explained that instead of farmers exerting their energies in weeding the grass on one crop, it was better to be harvesting other crops while weeding was on.
He said from experience, he was able to harvest groundnuts, okro, maize and other short term crops which fetched him some reasonable amounts of income.
He said due to traditional methods of farming, most people in the rural areas find it difficult to adapt to mixed cropping even, adding that those who tried it had positive results.
Okirigwe give also said that most of the short term crops do well all the year round, thereby affording farmers the opportunity of including them in subsequent farms.