Prayagraj: The state government efforts to promote innovation in agriculture and switching from traditional cropping patterns to the cultivation of multiple crops at a lower cost and generating higher returns seems to have yielded results in Prayagraj.A young farmer in Prayagraj has developed a ‘smart farming’ model—integrating multiple crops, fisheries, and natural farming—that is generating earnings running into lakhs.Rahul Singh, a resident of Sarai Jeetpura village in the Bahariya block of district, has developed a smart farming model at his village. After completing his graduation, Rahul, (30) implemented new smart agriculture model on his 30 bighas of village land.Now, he earns between ₹15 lakh and ₹17 lakh per month from this innovative model. The Bahariya block of Prayagraj is considered a hub for paddy cultivation. Rahul’s fields had traditionally been used for growing paddy, but he decided to experiment with a new approach. He began raising fish amidst the paddy crop. He sells fish in the market before the paddy harvest, generating three times the income compared to the paddy itself. Additionally, Rahul has set up a nearby poultry unit, rearing over ten thousand chicks each season. He uses the poultry droppings as fertilizer for the paddy fields and as feed for the fish. Through this integrated approach, he generates income from all three components.Rahul, meanwhile, explains that he lacked the capital required for this interdependent agricultural model. The government provided him with full support in this regard. He received Rs 9 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, which enabled him to have a pond dug and start fish farming. Similarly, he obtained Rs 3 lakh in assistance from the horticulture department to install a sprinkler irrigation system.Rahul has set up a milk collection centre also to boost the income of local cattle rearers, and he himself keeps half a dozen cattle. This initiative has also increased the income of local residents. Inspired by Rahul, Bipin Pratap, a youth from Ubari village in Koraon block has too adopted intercropping methods.Similarly, Neeraj, a farmer from Jai Singh Pur in Bahariya block, is also earning by implementing an integrated fishery and paddy farming model.
