Multi-Cropping: Opportunity or Hidden Challenge?

Banana farming is becoming a strong source of income for Nepali farmers. But many farmers still think that banana farming means just selling banana fruit.

The reality is different.

If you only see a banana as a single product for selling fruit, you are losing out on opportunities worth hundreds of thousands of rupees. 

Here's how you can earn beyond just banana fruit:

• Banana flour 
• Banana powder
• Banana nice cream
• Banana fiber products
• Banana leaf plates
• Banana jam, chips, wine, and other products

All these concepts are related to the value diversification of banana production (MDPI, 2024).

👉 Beyond these, another way to make banana farming more profitable is multi-cropping.

Multi-cropping is a system where two or more crops are grown on the same piece of land at the same time or within the same production cycle (FAO, 2021).

Examples:

• Banana + Maize
• Banana + Mustard
• Banana + Chili
• Banana + Soybean
• Banana + Bean
• Banana + Ginger
• Banana + Turmeric

👉 Agricultural experts in Nepal also state that crop diversification on the same land can increase both production and income (Wagle & Subedi, 2021).  

Planting additional crops in unused spaces increases yield, and even if one crop is damaged by pests or diseases, farmers can still benefit from the other.  

Dr. Bishnu Vilas Adhikari - Head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences at Sudurpaschim University - cited in Dinesh Khabar 31/5/2026

A study conducted in Chitwan in 2021 presented the real picture of banana intercropping:

• Most banana farmers are unaware of intercropping practices.
• The majority have adopted a monocropping system.
• Only a few farmers use companion crops.

👉 This shows that despite the great potential of multi-cropping, the adoption rate is still very low (Wagle & Subedi, 2021).

Farmers in Nepal have started growing maize, mustard, and chili within banana plantations to earn additional income (Dinesh Khabar 31/5/2026).

Main reasons:

• Utilization of vacant land
• Additional income
• Risk management
• Protection against market price fluctuations
• Soil conservation

👉 According to FAO (2021), intercropping improves both land use efficiency and income stability.

Farmer Sher Bahadur Saud from Tikapur-5 grew maize and mustard within one bigha of the banana plantation and earned significant additional income (Dinesh Khabar 31/5/2026).

According to his experience:

• Approximately Rs. 40,000 from the sale of green maize
• More than 2 quintals of mustard production
• Approximately 60 kg of maize grain

👉 In total, approximately Rs. 60,000 per bigha of additional income appears possible.

👉 Tekendra Dhami has taken large amounts of additional production by growing maize alongside banana on 6.5 bighas of land (Dinesh Khabar 31/5/2026).

This income is NOT from:

• Banana fruit
• Banana leaves
• Banana fiber
• Any value-added banana product

👉 This comes from the companion crops planted in the vacant space between banana plants.

This practice has been successful not only in Nepal but also in neighboring Bangladesh. Two independent studies have proven the effectiveness of multi-cropping:

Study 1: Plain Land Region

Source: (Khan et al., 2024)

Study 2: Hilly Region

Source: (Alam et al., 2024)

👉 Both studies reach the same conclusion: Multi-cropping provides higher economic returns than sole banana cultivation. 

CGIAR, which is the world's largest global agricultural innovation network, explains the key benefits of banana intercropping as follows:

• Improved weed control
• Reduced soil erosion
• Production of organic mulch
• Nitrogen fixation (from legume crops)
• Reduced risk of pests and diseases

Source: ProPAS (CGIAR)

If the current practice of Kailali is expanded to larger areas, the potential additional income looks like this: 

⚠️ Note: This is an estimate. Actual income depends on soil, weather, and management practices.

CGIAR ProPAS states the following major challenges:

• Competition for water, sunlight, and nutrients
• Risk of root damage
• Possibility of spreading diseases and pests
• Management complexity
• Crops like maize increase competition

👉 The Bangladesh study shows that while yield may decrease by up to 20%, total income can still increase (Alam et al., 2024).

If the right strategy is adopted, these challenges themselves can become new business opportunities:

• Choose legumes and short-duration crops
• Plant intercrops only after 3–4 months
• Maintain adequate spacing (at least 3 meters)
• Use mulching and drip irrigation
• Adopt organic methods for pest management

Studies from Nepal, Bangladesh, and international sources show that multi-cropping:

• Increases production efficiency
• Reduces risk
• Creates additional income

In Nepal, examples have shown that farmers can earn up to approximately Rs. 60,000 per bigha in additional income.

👉 However, for this system to succeed, knowledge, planning, and proper management are essential.

👉 In the end, multi-cropping is not magic — it is an evidence-based agricultural strategy.