Off-season cabbage production has become a boon to hill farmers in Himachal Pradesh in general and high hill wet temperate region in Mandi district. After introduction of off-season cabbage (April-June) in high hill wet temperate region of Mandi district, farmers were generally growing only one cash crop in their existing cropping systems either off-season cabbage or off-season pea. In order to develop profitable cropping sequences, KVK, Mandi, developed and standardized new cropping systems by introducing off-season pea (July-November) in existing off-season cabbage cultivation (April-June) while shifting their cabbage cultivation from April-June (general planting time) to June-November. This slight adjustment in cropping time has opened a choice of new cropping systems, viz. cabbage (April-June) - peas (July-November), cabbage (June-November) - pea (December-April/May), cabbage (June-November) - potato (March-June) to hill farmers. The farmers were also mobilized in intensive manner during 2006-2012 to adopt these new cropping sequences through appropriate technology transfer tools. Today, farmers of wet temperate high hill region of Seraj, Gohar and Karsog blocks of Mandi district are now practising these cropping sequences. With sound technical back-up of KVK, Mandi and line departments of agriculture and horticulture and farmer to farmer extension approach, these cropping systems have become most remunerative and sustainable in region with off-season cabbage proving as a promising agri-entrepreneur for hill farmers on their small and staggered land holdings. This is a great success story which has brought winds of change in farming and rural livelihood in this remote region of the district.
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