Farmers Encouraged to Practise Intercropping

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), J.C. Hutchinson, is encouraging farmers to practice intercropping, to maximise their earnings.

Speaking with farmers from Kingston and St. Andrew and Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) Extension Officers at the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) headquarters on Hope Boulevard, in Kingston, on August 9, Mr. Hutchinson argued that intercropping will ensure that there is a steady income for the farmers.

Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously on the same plot of land.

The Minister also noted that intercropping will give farmers a higher income per unit area, than sole cropping.

Mr. Hutchinson told the farmers that they must work to get the most out of their fields, and recommended quick-growing crops like scallion, Irish potato and peas for intercropping.

“Most of you are coffee farmers and coffee takes three to five years to mature, so you need to plant a cash crop that can give quick and short returns,” he encouraged.

The Minister pointed out that these small crops can be reaped within three months after they are planted.

Mr. Hutchinson said this type of farming acts as an insurance against failure of the major crop and reduces soil runoff during heavy rains.