Homestead production systems in coastal salt-affected areas of Sundarbans: status and way forward strategies

Abstract

In coastal areas of West Bengal the operational farm holding size is very small (<0.5 ha per HH) and that too are fragmented over few more plots, resulting further reduction of operational holding size. The poor farming communities are poverty stricken, having very low investment capacities and land productivity is very low due to acute shortage of irrigation water in non-monsoon months. Therefore, the HPS systems are having enormous importance for improving livelihoods and towards attaining household level food security in this region. Homestead production systems, with an average area of 0.11 acre, are comprised of several key resources like water, fish, horticultural crops, livestocks etc. the pond and the water in the pond is the most important resources of the HPS and whole gamut of activities are dependent by utilising this water. Besides, aquaculture in the homestead pond, growing vegetables, fruits, trees etc in the dyke or homestead gardens was the major activity under HPS. A number of vegetables were grown in the homestead gardens like brinjal, okhra (bhindi), potato, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, yam, spinach, colocasia, amaranthus, cucumber, bitter gourd, beet, carrot etc. Vegetables area of cultivation under the HPS was 0.03-0.06 acre. Availability of fish, vegetables and livestock products from the HPS were quite smaller in quantity, but contributed greatly towards the daily households requirement and thus reducing the externally dependence and making the farm family more self-reliant. Under the current practices, the financial analysis (IRR, BCR and NPV) of the current system indicated that the system was not generating the sufficient income for long term investment, if the contribution of family labouers are imputed and added as cost but it has multiple functions, utility and value to the HH in coastal areas under study. The market linkage with the production system was very weak primarily due to very low marketable surplus. The utilization of these available homestead water resources are not to their potential. With scientific/improved interventions these resources can be used more efficiently and the productivity of the whole HPS can be enhanced significantly. The HPS resources including pond and dykes area can be utilized more intensively and can be made more contributing their livelihoods. Farmers need technical and financial support to enhance their investment capacities as well as technical support to make their resource use more productive. Enhancing the production level would increase the quantity of marketable surplus and thereby increase the contribution of HPS to the regional production.