Integrated farming and its importance (IFS)

Prabina Chanu Arambam / Prince Ngathem *

Winter vegetables at Toubul village area, Bishnupur District in January 2016 :: Deepak Oinam

Integrated farming means to integrate crop production with livestock management which in a way complement each other with a nice symbiotic relationship which at the time is economically viable and profitable, environmentally suitable, and benefit giver of diversification of production.

Integrated farming is an another approach or farming practice which originally devised in China and now being supported world wide as a all round development of agriculture along with Animal husbandry and other such occupation which is related to core agriculture practices.

Advantages of IFS:

1. Productivity : IFS provides an oppurtunity to increase economic yield per unit area per unit time by virtue of intensification of crop and allied enterprises.

2. Profitability : Use waste material of one component at the least cost. Thus reduction of cost of production and form the linkage of utilisation of waste material,elimination of middleman interference in most input used.

3. Potentiality or Sustainability : Organic supplementation through effective utilisation of by products of linked component is done thus providing an oppurtunity to sustain the potentiality of production base for much longer periods.

4. Balanced Food : We link components varied nature enabling to produce different sources of nutrition.

5. Environmental safety : In IFS waste materials are effectively recycled by linking appropriate components,thus minimise environmental pollution.

6. Recycling : Effective recycling of waste material in IFS.

7. Income round the year : Due to interaction of enterprises with crops,eggs,milk,mushroom,honey,cocoons silkworm provides flow of money to the farmer round the year.

8. Adoption of new Technology : Resources farmer(big farmer) fuly utilise technology. IFS farmers,linkage of dairy/mushroom/sericulture/vegetable. Money flow round the year gives an inducement to the small/original farmers to go for the adoption technologies.

9. Saving Energy : to identify an alternative source to reduce our dependence on fossil energy source within short time. Effective recycling technique the organic wastes available in the system can be utilised to generate biogas. Energy crises can be postponed to the later period.

10. Meeting Fodder crises : Every piece of land area is effectively utilised. Plantation of perennial legume fodder trees on field borders and also fixing the atmospheric nitrogen. These practices will greatly relieve the problem of non-availability of quality fodder ti the animal component linked.

11. Solving Fuel and Timber crises : Linking agro-forestry appropriately the production level of fuel and industrial wood can be enhanced without determining effect on crop. This will also greatly reduce deforestation,preserving our natural ecosystem.

12. Employment Generation : Combimg crop with livestock enterprises would increase the labour requirement significantly and would help in reducing the problems of under employment to a great extent IFS provide enough scope to employ family labour round the year.

13. Agro-industries : When one of produce linked in IFS are increased to cimmercial level there is surplus value adoption leading ti development of allied agro-industries.

14. Increasing input efficiency : IFS provide good scopr to use inputs in different component greater efficiency and benefit cost ratio.

However,despite having many advantages of IFS, it is so far yet popular as expected and hence farmers are not able nto reap its benefits. There may be many reasons attributed ti this failure such as –

1. Un awareness of farmers : about the benefits of this farming practise- it keep the farmers away implementing best practices of integrated farming.

2. Lesser resources : around 80% of the farmers do not have lands more than 5 acres. Hence, they can‘t be used macanised farming with sophisticated tools. Also, the lack of caital acts as an impediment in buying the expensive livestock and its maintenance.

3. Government policies : though government has many schemes to provide on low rates loan for cattle rearing, agriculture and purchasing mechanical equipments. However, the procedure along with inherent corruption in government departments further discourage the farmers to approach them.

Conclusions and Recommendation : Integrated farming approach as a biophysical and socio-economic capsule has an immense potential to address income instability,nutritional insecurity, unemployment, and poverty of farmers in the country. The urgency in addressing issues of livelihod security, empowering rural poor throuhg enhanced integrated farming products. Production yields from integrated farming vary depending on the livestock and the management system preferred.

However,all cases of integrated farming have proved to be more profittable the Unitary system of farming as it ensures the spread of financial risk. So, specific policies tailored to integrated farming instead of unpractical, highly intensive system are recommended.