Role of livestock in integrated farming in coastal saline zone of West Bengal Ray Manabendra*, Sengupta Dipyaman1 AICRP on Integrated Farming System, Directorate of Research Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, Nadia-741235, West Bengal, India 1Department of Animal Reproduction Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Bihar Veterinary College, Patna-800014, Bihar, India *Email for correspondence: manabbckv@gmail.com
Online published on 25 July, 2018. Abstract The present study was performed in the form of a survey comprising 240 farmers of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal falling under coastal saline zone in order to assess the role of livestock rearing in rural economy compared to other farm enterprises. Data were obtained by personal interview with a pre-structured tested schedule. The farmers were divided into different categories based on size of land holding viz marginal (<0.5 H), small (>0.5 H and <1 H), medium (>1 H and <1.5 H) and large (>1.5 H). Level of crop diversification, pattern of animal rearing and income from individual sector were compared with increase in size of land holding. The per cent allocation of gross cropped area was maximum for cereals (64.12) followed by pulses (17.76%) and vegetables (8.09%) the trend being similar for all categories of farmers. Number of farmers with high level of crop diversification decreased as the size of land holding increased, being maximum (19.1%) for marginal farmers. This could be due to greater investment on labour and capital with the increase in the size of land holding. Non-descript (Desi) cows constituted the major population of dairy animals followed by cross breds while dairy buffalos were unpopular in this part. The reason for such a trend could be that the maintenance of Desi cows required far less care as they were more disease resistant and thus family labour could be deployed for other farm activities. Unattractive price of milk compared to high price of concentrates and lack of good quality fodder were also hindrances towards maintenance of crossbreds. In overall livestock constituted 18.08 per cent of total income of marginal farmers while its share was only 8 per cent for large farmers. This indicates that livestock enterprise is a subsidiary enterprise which may add to the farm income. Top Keywords Coastal saline zone, crop, integrated faming, livestock. Top |