The Agriculture Department is carrying out an experiment in the Western Division to see how best potatoes can intercrop with sugar cane in the same field.

Senior Research officer Shalendra Prasad says the trials are being carried out in Ba and Rakiraki cane field area.

Prasad says farmers have intercropped beans, moong, urd and other short term crops but now they want to show them that potato is another option.

Sugar cane usually takes about a year to mature before it is harvested to generate income for farmers.

Prasad says farmers need to consider options of intercropping as it not only maximises the use of land but also complements cane farmers income from their land.