Empirical Proof on Benefits of Integrated Farming System in Smallholder farms in Odisha.

Integrated farming system (IFS) is considered as one of the best option towards intensification of small holder farm income to ensure sustainable livelihood. Integration of resources is made through a combination of land, water and animal resources of a farm through careful planning including recycling of bio-resources. Governments and development agencies have designed projects/programmes in promoting IFS through demonstration of successful models and other means. Integration of resources is a process which involves great thought in investing in one of the resource combined and gaining benefits. This paper entails information on IFS adopted farms by analyzing three cases promoted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Khordha under ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture mandated to work on technology assessment, refinement and demonstration. All the IFS analyzed are pond based integrations involving crop-livestock and fish as major with minor integrations of enterprises like mushroom cultivation. The gross income of case 1 farmer was found to be Rs 5,19,600 from 0.8 ha in a pond based farming system followed by case 2 earning Rs 3,75,920 ( gross income) from an area of 1.872 ha crop based farming system and Rs 1, 50, 300 ( gross income) from an area of 0.8 ha crop based farming system adopting. The details of the case studies and economics are presented and these model farms play a great role in motivating nearby farmers in adoption of IFS. The study also concluded that adoption of IFS is profitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]