Dr N Khumdemo Ezung
(i/c) Senior Scientist and Head KVK, Kiphire
Introduction:
Livestock has traditionally been an integral part of farmers' household, as it plays an important role not only in the farm production but also in augmenting rural economy and in recycling of farm wastes. It is a major source of supplementing family incomes and generating gainful employment in the rural sector, particularly among the landless labourers, small and marginal farmers and farm women.
Livestock based integrated farming system is one of the rising agriculture systems in India. The practice of this type of farming system has been continued in our country in a traditional way from time immemorial. The basic principles of the farming system are productive recycling of farm wastes. Different subsystems work together in integrated farming system resulting in a greater total productivity than the sum of their individual production. Fish-Livestock along with Livestock-Crop farming is the major concept in Livestock based integrated farming system.
An “Integrated crop-livestock system” is a form of mixed production that utilizes crops and livestock in a way that they can complement one another through space and time. The backbone of an integrated system is the herd of ruminants (animals like sheep, goats or cattle), which graze a pasture to build up the soil. Eventually, sufficient soil organic matter builds up to the point where crops can be supported. Animal can also be used for farm operations and transport. While crop residues provide fodder for livestock and grain provides supplementary feed for productive animals. Animals play key and multiple roles in the functioning of the farm, and not only because they provide livestock products (meat, milk, eggs, wool, and hides) or can be converted into prompt cash in times of need.
Doubling of farmer income and Integrated farming Systems
Indian agriculture is passing through difficult times due to two consecutive drought situations in 2012-13 and 2013-14 in several parts of the country, thereby resulting in wide spread distress among farmers.
The rural areas in these parts are facing food and livelihood crisis, more specifically, the shortage of fodder and drinking water.
Government needs to proactively address the situation and make more long term farmers centric policies related to irrigation, farm diversification, farm profitability and community support programs so as to socially and economically empower farmers. It is important to measure agricultural progress by real income of farmers and not by gross production of agricultural commodities. It was in this context that the Finance Minister in his Budget 2016 speech mentioned about doubling farm incomes. Later the Prime Minister of India gave a call to the nation for doubling farm incomes by 2022 by spelling out a multi-pronged strategy, namely:
i. Big focus on irrigation with large budgets, with the aim of "per drop, more crop."
ii. Provision of quality seeds and nutrients based on soil health of each field.
iii. Large investments in warehousing and cold chains to prevent post-harvest crop losses.
iv. Promotion of value addition through food processing.
v. Creation of a national farm market, removing distortions and e-platform across 585 stations.
vi. Introduction of a new crop insurance scheme to mitigate risks at affordable cost.
vii. Promotion of ancillary activities like poultry, beekeeping and fisheries.
One of the options to double farmer income and mitigate risk is the adoption of Integrated Farming Systems (IFS). IFS or integrated agriculture is a commonly and broadly used word to explain a more integrated approach to farming as compared to mono-culture approaches.
It refers to agricultural systems that integrate livestock, crop production, fish, horticulture, apiary, sericulture, fungi culture, lac culture, and such other related activities may sometimes be known as integrated bio-systems. In this system an inter-related set of enterprises is used so that the "waste" from one component becomes an input for another part of the system, which reduces cost, improves production and income. IFS ensure that wastes from one form of agriculture becomes resource for another form. Since it utilizes waste as resources, we not only eliminate waste but we also ensure overall increase in productivity for the whole agricultural system.
Livestock based farming systems Livestock+Crop based farming system:
Livestock + crop farming system is a predominant farming system prevalent in most of the parts of India. Integrating crops with livestock on the same farms helps smallholder farmers to diversify the sources of income and employment generation. Crop and livestock complement one another through mutual benefit. In livestock + crop system, the animal component is often raised on agricultural waste products while the animal is used to cultivate the land and provide manure to be used as fertilizer and fuel (Jayanthi et al, 2000).
The animals play important role in enriching the soil gradually and increasing soil organic matter to support the crop. The draft power of animals is used for farm operations, while crop residues provide fodder for livestock and grain provides supplementary feed for productive animals. Animals also provide manure and other types of animal waste. Alam et al, (2000) reported that the manure availability was 12 tonnes from a pair of draught cattle integrated with crop. Cow dung helps in the overall sustainability of the farming system. Dung contains macro and micro nutrients required for improving the soil fertility and crop growth. Cow dung is used for the production of biogas.
Biogas is a source of renewable, alternative and sustainable energy (Godi et al, 2013). Per ton manure contains 8 kg of nitrogen, 4kg of phosphorus and 16 kg of potassium. Application of manure improves the soil fertility and water holding capacity. The cost of weed control is reduced where the livestock graze under plantations. Venkatadri et al, (2008) reported that 98 per cent of the farmers opined that livestock rearing reduces vulnerability in drought years, 97 per cent of the sample respondents indicated that farmers suicides were less in dairy developed areas and commercial agriculture increased suicidal rate in Andhra Pradesh (96.%). Integrated farming system with six buffaloes generated 904 of man days of employment against 400 man days in crop alone (Pandey and Bhogal, 1980).
Livestock + Crop + Fish based farming system:
Livestock+Crop+Fish farming systems can be followed by integrating fish with Livestock +Crop farming system, raise the fish without any additional feed, rearing fish in the fish pond with the help of available dung from livestock. Integrated Livestock + Crop + fish farming can be carried out for increasing returns from a limited land area and reducing risk by diversifying crops (Korikantimath et al, 2008). There should be ample supply of fresh and clean water available throughout the year to maintain water level for fish management purposes.
The nutrients content in cow dung will help in growth of phytoplankton and zooplankton in fish pond. The by-products of livestock can be used for aquaculture. Direct application of wastes of livestock is common practice. The by-products of livestock are manure, urine and spilled feed. The adult cattle produce about 4,000-5,000 kg dung, 3,500-4,000 liter urine annually. For a pond size of 1 ha of 5-6 adult cattle can provide adequate manure. In addition to 9,000 kg of milk, about 3,000-4,000 kg fish/ha/year can be produced in this system. This system will save labor for lifting the cow dung. The requirement of green and dry fodder for an adult cattle is 9-10 and 2-2.2 ton respectively and will be met from crop component. The manure will be used for improving the fertility of soil.
Mahajan et al, (2012) reported that inclusion of dairy and poultry components in IFS, the net income have been increased to Rs 37,343/- per year as against Rs 26,511/- from field crops only.
Poultry + Fish based farming system:
Poultry+ fish farming system can be integrated to reduce the cost of fertilizers and feeds in fish farming. Poultry can be reared near or over the fish pond and the poultry excreta will directly drop into fish pond and get recycled. In this system poultry is reared under deep litter system. Poultry droppings in the form of litter contains: 3% nitrogen, 2% phosphate and 2% potash. Poultry droppings acts as a good source of fertilizer which helps in producing fish feed i.e. phytoplankton and zooplankton in fish pond. Njoku and Ejiogu (1999) reported that 1000 chicken can be integrated with one hectare fish pond provided the optimal water quality for fish
survival and growth and also reported that the excreta load was 3600 kg ha–1month–1(dry matter); water pH 8.6; total alkalinity 65.0 mg L–1; dissolved oxygen 8.0 mg L–1; biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) 2.0 mg L–1; ammonia 0.02 mg L–1and total phosphates 10.0 mg L–1. Fish yield range from 4000-5000 Kg/ha/yr. Poultry-fish integration increases the resource use efficiency and proper utilization of space and eco-friendly. Gangwar et al, (2013) reported that the integrated poultry-fish farming provided additional income of Rs. 4000-5000 per annum and generated 45-50 man days of employment. Sahoo and Singh (2015) reported that, the fish-poultry farming system could generate maximum profit of Rs. 33664.06 per 0.025 ha yr-1with B: C ratio of 1.09. Bezbaruah (2012) reported that integrating, Poultry + Fish + Horticulture farmer earned Rs. 40,000 from poultry, Rs. 25,000 from fish and Rs. 6000 from vegetable growing on the bunds of pond. Kalita et al, (2016) reported that Fish+Poultry integration produced 4500 to 5000 kg fish, 70,000 eggs and 1000 kg (live weight) of chicken meat from 1.0 ha fish pond annually without any supplementary feed.
Livestock +Crop+ Backyard poultry
Backyard poultry plays a significant role in rural people's life for generating income and nutritional security of the family (Mandal et al, 2006). Integration of livestock+ crop farming with backyard poultry farming will improve the nutritional security as well as increase the income of farmers. Backyard livestock comprising of sheep, goats, pigs and poultry provide emergency sources of income for family as reported by Devendra and Pezo (2002). Bird scavenges on the undigested grains in dung as well as the threshing wastes in the fields. Backyard poultry also predates the insect and pests which are responsible for incidence of diseases in the crops. Separate inputs are not required for additional feeding of the birds. Eggs and chicken are good source of protein available to the farm family as well as provide income on regular basis. Nirmala et al, (2012) reported that improved backyard poultry as a scientific intervention improved household income.
Pig cum fish farming system:
Integrated livestock-fish farming is a practice which links together two normally separate farming systems, whereby the livestock and fish become sub-systems of a whole farming system.
The higher fish production is attainable through intensive management inputs, involving high stocking densities of complementary-feeding fish species, addition of energy-rich supplementary feed to a significant component of natural feed, and aeration of fish pond water. The rising cost of high protein fish feed and inorganic fertilizer, as well as the general concern for energy conservation, have brought about increased interest in the utilization of animal manures in aquaculture and in the traditional systems which integrate animal husbandry with aquaculture (Chen F Y 1989, Edwards 1986). The integration of livestock with fisheries aquaculture has received considerable attention lately with emphasis on the incorporation of animal manures as fertilizer and nutrient for promotion of natural feed in fish ponds Delmendo M N (1980), Wohlfarth, G.W. and Schroeder G L (1979). The rationale behind integrating fish with livestock is the large amount of nutrients (N-P-K) present in the animal feed being recovered in the manure, with possible proportions of 72–79% nitrogen, 61–87% phosphorus, and 82–92% potassium. These act as fertilisers in fish ponds to produce plankton which comprise high-protein natural food for certain species of fish. Recent experiments have demonstrated that considerable fish production can be obtained when animal manures are properly applied to fish polyculture systems Shoko, et al (2011). Sahoo and Singh (2015) reported that who evaluated f fish production and income generation with integration of pig and poultry reported that fish productivity was better in ponds integrated with pigs than with poultry. A stocking density of 10000 number of fingerlings/ha water body within six months gave rise to 9840 kg ha-1 yr-1 in fish-pig system while the fish-poultry system could produce only 8240 kg ha-1 yr-1. The economic analysis and benefit-cost ratio of practicing integrated fish-livestock farming revealed that integrated fish-pig farming could generate maximum profit of Rs. 48023.19 per 0.025 ha yr-1 with B:C value of 2.04 which was higher than integrated fish-poultry farming system (Rs. 33664.06 per 0.025 ha yr-1 with B:C value of 1.09)
Conclusion:
Livestock based integrated farming system provides an opportunity of increasing economic yield per unit area per unit time in small and marginal farmers. In this system waste materials are effectively recycled by linking appropriate components. Thus, minimize the environment pollution. Recycling of product, byproducts and waste material in integrated farming system are the factors responsible for the sustainability of farming system. Due to integration of different livestock components with crops, production of eggs, meat and milk provide nutritional security and income generation round the year to the farmers. Combining crop with livestock enterprises would increase the labour requirement significantly and helps in reducing the problems of under employment to a great extent. IFS provide enough scope to employ family labour round the year. The nutritional security, natural resource management and environment protection are the major concern for sustainable agriculture. Integration of livestock is the way forward to promote proper utilization of available resources and environment protection for economic growth. Integrated farming system diversifies farm production, increase the income, improve nutritional security and promote nutrient recycling.
