- Giving up traditional paddy cultivation and earning double or triple income from alternative crops has become an inspiration for the farmers of the state.
The state government’s efforts to promote innovation and crop diversification in agriculture are now showing results on the ground. Mr. Kunwar Singh Madhukar (Nandkumar), a farmer from Bargaon village in the Pamgarh development block of Janjgir-Champa district, has emerged as an inspiring example. He has significantly increased his income by moving beyond traditional farming and adopting a modern, multi-cropping model.
Madhukar, who once relied solely on rice farming, took a risk and embraced crop diversification on his 18 acres of farmland, adapting to changing times. He began cultivating a variety of crops, including pepper, mango, cucumber, gourd, jackfruit, lemon, apple plum, kundru, and parwal. As a result, his income has doubled to triple, strengthening his financial position.
Today, his farm represents an excellent example of scientific and planned farming. He has planted 250 jackfruits, 600 new and 250 old lemon trees, 100 apple plums, 1,700 Australian teak trees, and 300 black pepper trees. He also cultivates large-scale vegetable crops such as kundru, parwal, cucumber, bottle gourd, and dodka, which provide a year-round source of income.
Seeing Madhukar’s success, the district administration is also presenting him as a model. Collector Mr. Janmejay Mahobe inspected his farm and praised his innovations, saying that crop diversification not only increases farmers’ income but also makes farming more sustainable and profitable. He has instructed other farmers to adopt similar models.
Madhukar’s success demonstrates that if farmers move beyond traditional farming and adopt modern techniques and diversify crops, they can earn better income even with limited resources. Today, he has become a source of inspiration not only for farmers in his region but for those across the state.