Sundargarh farmers reap benefits from poly houses 

Farmers provided with financial and technical support to take up cultivation
Officials supervising the work in one of the poly-houses | Express
Officials supervising the work in one of the poly-houses | Express

ROURKELA: To enhance the earning potential of farmers under market-led agriculture extension programme, farmers in Sundargarh district are being encouraged to cultivate off season cash crops of certain varieties.


In rain-fed Sundargarh district, farmers usually opt for bulk cultivation of vegetables in rabi season while similar crops are taken up in kharif season, but the production remains less. 


However, in both the seasons, horticulture farmers sow and harvest crops around the same time to flood the market with vegetable crops leading to drop in prices.  

In case of bumper production, the prices dip to such an extent that cultivators fail to secure cost of production as was witnessed from November to January. Informing about the concept, head of Rourkela-based Sundargarh-II Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), J Pati, said farmers are provided with financial and technical support to take up cultivation.


He said to get good returns, farmers would have to plan cultivation in tune with market demands and the ‘market led agriculture extension’ programme is a feasible option. Many farmers in the district are resorting to off season cultivation of vegetables in  protected environment of poly-houses or shed-net structures and are reaping benefits.


It is learnt that under National Horticulture Mission, the Horticulture department is offering heavy subsidy to set up poly-house and shed net structures, while KVK is engaged in providing  technical knowhow.


Deputy Director, Horticulture (DDH) Basudev Sahu said the popularity of poly-house and shed net structures is slowly picking up. Assistant Horticulture Engineer Alok Adhikari said the district has about four poly-houses over 2,500 sq m and nearly 20 shed-net units over 24,000 sq m. Five shed-net units at Kirei cover 8,000-9,000 sq m.

These units through organic farming are successfully producing flowers and major vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, coloured capsicum, cucumber and banana.


A poly-house owner SP Jena said he produces about 20 kg of cherry tomato alone. KVK’s horticulture scientist Sanjay Pradhan said during off season, poly-houses are successfully growing seedlings in protected environment, but the shed-net units have their own disadvantages during rainy season.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com