Integrated Farming Systems for Sustainable Agricultural Growth: Strategy and Experience from Research

Abstract

The challenges of increasing population (1.93% per year), soil degradation (5-10 m ha/year), desertification (6 m ha/year), declining irrigated area per person (1.3% per year) and declining per capita forested area (0.78% per year) in India are to be addressed to provide nutritionally rich food. Every year around 1% of population is added under food insecure category which is mainly due to poor food affordability. Demand for commodities like rice, wheat, pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, meat and egg are expected to increase annually. The consumption pattern is also undergoing major changes with the improvement in per capita income, especially in urban areas. The share of calories in Indian diet will be around 50% only from food grains while non-food grain crops and animal products share is expected to increase. The farm income is increasing at lower rate which is one of the major causes for agrarian stress and moving of youth away from agriculture. Diversification aims to provide the alternative avenues available for enhancing the income in a sustainable way. India is dominated by small holders who constitute 86% of farm households and own around 44% of operated area but their output exceeds 50% production. The holding sizes of marginal farms have decreased to 0.38 ha in 2010-11 and likely to reduce to the level of 0.32 ha with in this decade. The small holder farms in India have the typical characteristics of diversification such as multiple cropping, livestock and related activities besides off farm employment. Crop intensity has remained higher with marginal holders but declined with the increase in size of holding. Crop and livestock is the pre-dominant farming system and livelihood of 117 million marginal and small farm holdings. Small categories of farms are often subjected to weather vagaries like flood, drought and other natural calamities and farming remains risky. Vertical expansion in small farms is possible by integrating appropriate farming system components requiring less space and time and ensuring periodic income to the farmers. Integrated Farming System (IFS) is a powerful tool; it holds the key for ensuring income, employment, livelihood and nutritional security in a sustainable mode for small and marginal farmers. IFS aims to meet with these goals through multiple uses of natural resources such as land, water, nutrients and energy in a complimentary way thus giving scope for round the year income from various enterprises of the system. Further, interventions indicated that profitability can be enhanced to as high as 137% within one year of low and no cost interventions. Farm level self-sufficiency in water and nutrient is possible through modern technological interventions such as rain water harvesting and recycling, nutrient. Multiple uses of water for household, irrigation, dairy, poultry, duckery and fish rearing is the best example. Small and medium size water bodies can be brought under multi-component production systems using in and around areas which will ultimately lead to improved income, nutrition and livelihood of small farm holdings. Organic or green farming is a holistic way of agriculture, which tries to bridge the widening gap between man and nature. Diversification of existing farming systems with change in cropping systems, addition and improvement of livestock components, inclusion of horticulture, kitchen garden, primary and secondary processing and boundary plantations are essential to improve the on-farm income of small holders. This will also meet with household demand for balanced food, and improve recycling of nutrients and water besides increasing the on-farm employment for family. Diversification of existing farming systems clearly demonstrated 2-3 folds productivity gains and 3-5 folds increase in net returns, 40 to 50% resource saving besides enhancing the income of household to Rs 400-500/day and employment generation to 7080%. Improved diversified systems also ensure household nutritional security.