How relay cropping transformed the fortunes of two young farmer brothers in Bihar

Rohtas: For the Deen Dayal Singh brothers of Nasriganj block in Bihar’s Rohtas district, farming is a family enterprise where every member has a role to play. From preparing the fields and growing vegetables to managing the harvest and marketing the produce, the family works together to make the most of its agricultural land.

Their approach to relay cropping, which allows successive crops to be grown on the same piece of land throughout the year, has helped them improve farm productivity and generate a steady source of income. Through careful crop planning, collective family effort and improved cultivation practices, the brothers have developed a year-round vegetable farming system.

At 31, Deen Dayal Singh has been involved in vegetable farming since the age of 16. Coming from a modest socio-economic background, he works alongside his father, mother, brothers and sisters-in-law. Eight family members are engaged in farming, making it a collective effort rather than an activity dependent on outside labour.

The brothers practise relay cropping on around 1.5 hectares of land, cultivating different vegetables across the seasons. Instead of leaving the land unused between crop cycles, they plan successive crops to maintain production throughout the year.

Their cultivation includes summer vegetables such as brinjal, cucumber, pumpkin and okra. These are followed by bottle gourd, cucumber, bitter gourd and sponge gourd, and subsequently by winter vegetables including okra, potato, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, radish and coriander.

This sequence allows the family to use the same land for multiple crops and generate income across different seasons.

The two brothers, aged 30 and 26 according to the available account, take responsibility for marketing the farm produce. Other family members contribute to cultivation and farm operations. The arrangement has enabled them to manage the entire farming activity without hiring outside labour.

Their adoption of improved cultivation practices and systematic crop planning has helped make farming more productive and remunerative.

The brothers grow a range of vegetables, including tomato, okra, brinjal, sponge gourd, bottle gourd, coriander, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage and cowpea.

According to the reported productivity figures, tomato cultivation records an average productivity of 640 quintals per hectare, while okra yields 240 quintals per hectare. Brinjal and sponge gourd each record 400 quintals per hectare, and bottle gourd records 640 quintals per hectare.

Coriander and cowpea record productivity of 160 quintals per hectare each, while spinach yields 320 quintals per hectare. The reported productivity for cauliflower is 240 quintals per hectare for hybrid varieties and 100 quintals per hectare for Sabour Agrim.

The family also follows a planned approach to crop economics. Tomato cultivation involves a production cost of ₹80,000 per hectare and generates an income of ₹5.60 lakh, leaving a net return of ₹4.80 lakh, with a benefit-cost ratio of 7:1.

For okra, the reported production cost is ₹2.40 lakh per hectare against an income of ₹8 lakh and a net return of ₹5.60 lakh, with a benefit-cost ratio of 10:3. Brinjal generates an income of ₹8 lakh against a production cost of ₹1.60 lakh, resulting in a net return of ₹6.40 lakh and a benefit-cost ratio of 5:1.

Sponge gourd cultivation brings an income of ₹2.40 lakh against a cost of ₹40,000, generating a net return of ₹2 lakh. Bottle gourd records an income of ₹4.80 lakh and a net return of ₹3.20 lakh against a production cost of ₹1.60 lakh.

Coriander and spinach have also proved remunerative. Coriander generates an income of ₹6.40 lakh against a cost of ₹80,000, leaving a net return of ₹5.60 lakh. Spinach generates ₹5.60 lakh against the same production cost, with a net return of ₹4.80 lakh. Cauliflower records an income of ₹4 lakh, a production cost of ₹80,000 and a net return of ₹3.20 lakh per hectare.

One of the distinguishing features of the brothers' farming model is the involvement of the entire family. Rather than depending on hired workers, family members share responsibilities across cultivation, harvesting and other farm activities.

The reported account records 1,160 labour inputs, with an estimated labour cost of ₹2.32 lakh at the rate of ₹200 per labour input. This represents 34.62% of the reported amount, while the net saving from managing the work through family labour is put at ₹4.38 lakh.

The net profit figures from relay cropping are reported at ₹6.70 lakh. These include ₹80,000 from bottle gourd, ₹1.40 lakh from coriander, ₹1.20 lakh from spinach, ₹80,000 from cauliflower, ₹1.40 lakh from okra, ₹50,000 from coriander and sponge gourd, and ₹60,000 from amaranth.

The account also reports that the brothers have been earning around ₹6 lakh annually through their family farming activities over the last three to four years, improving the household's livelihood.

Their efforts have earned recognition beyond Rohtas. At the Purvanchal Kshetriya Kisan Mela-2015, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India, at the Central Potato Research Station, Patna, on February 20, 2015, Deen Dayal Singh was honoured for his contribution to agriculture through family farming.

He received a certificate and a shawl from the Union Agriculture Minister at the event. The account also notes that the relay-cropping model helped him earn an annual profit of ₹4–5 lakh from a 0.25-hectare leased plot in Nasriganj block.

The brothers have received several awards and prizes at district and university levels for their work in family farming.

Their experience shows how careful crop planning, successive vegetable cultivation and collective family participation can improve the use of available farmland. For rural youth looking to remain engaged in agriculture, the Deen Dayal Singh brothers offer an example of how family farming can become a viable source of livelihood.