SKYBURY Tropical Plantation is set to increase production of its sweet red papaya and Arabica Coffee over the next 18 months if double cropping trials on the Mareeba-based farm prove successful.
Skybury director Ian MacLaughlin said while double cropping is practiced in other tropical growing countries, it was unusual to see this type of farming in Australia.
“I have often asked the question why not? Double cropping is highly sustainable, more productive and uses environmental resources such as land, water and sunlight more efficiently," Mr Maclaughlin said.
“It also reduces lag between crops as well as insect and disease pressure, which is prevalent in a mono culture," he said.
Double cropping is when at least two different crops are inter-planted together to give a total yield per acre that is higher than when crops are planted separately.
“Papaya and coffee are very complementary to each other having similar nutrient requirements.
“Papaya is what is known as an overstory crop, providing shade to coffee, which is an understory plant. The shade also offers great weed control.”
Mr MacLaughlin said double cropping aligned with Skybury’s vision to be highly sustainable, setting the benchmark when it came to innovative farming that was clean and green.
He said the increase in yield was part of Skybury’s longer term plan to double coffee production by 2020 and increase papaya production.
Presently, more than two million papaya are picked annually, while the coffee plantation produces an average of 60 tonnes per year.