INTER-CROPPING is an option for sugarcane farmers, but they must be provided the right resources to allow for diversification said Nawaicoba sector farmer Bala Dass.
Mr Dass, who is chairperson of the Lautoka Cane Producers Association, said he had planted and harvested watermelon last year but would not be planting anymore soon.
“We need proper irrigation for growing other crops,” he said.
“I planted watermelon and they turned out very well but after a few months, the weather got too dry.
“Proper irrigation was the main problem.”
According to the association many growers planted vegetables between sugar cane plots.
Mr Dass said the changing weather patterns had affected farmers’ ability to diversify.
“We are having drier weather and more rain and floods. So, it affects our vegetables farms.
“The difference is sugar cane mostly can survive these types of change in weather.”
Greenfield Mechanical Harvester Cooperative Ltd chairperson Krishna Murti Gounder said inter-cropping was for manual labour dependent growers.
“For mechanical harvesters it will be difficult for us because we’ve spent thousands of dollars on these machines,” Mr Gounder said.
“We have to grow sugar cane to be able to make our money back.”
