Profit from Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System

Recently, Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System has been established in Sultanpur village of Navsari district of Gujarat. Which has brought a new hope for the coastal tribal communities. This special system is proving to be very helpful in increasing their production and providing economic stability by making efficient use of resources. Through this, not only are the coastal communities getting new employment and livelihood opportunities, but their standard of living is also improving. Let us know in detail about this unique initiative.

New facility started for farmers in a village of Gujarat

This new and interesting project has been started for the farmers. In this project, fish farming, farming, poultry farming and goat farming – everything will be done together. This is being called Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming. This project has been started by ICAR-CIBA. The work of this organization is to find new ways through which farmers can earn more.

This new facility was inaugurated by Dr. ZP Patel, a senior official of Navsari Agricultural University. 150 tribal farmers from four nearby villages also participated in this program. This project will teach farmers how to earn good income by doing many types of farming and work at one place.

What is Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System?

This is a method in which farmers can do many types of farming and other work at one place. It includes fish farming, poultry farming, goat farming and vegetable growing. In this way, farmers can make full use of their land and water. This is especially beneficial for tribal farmers living near the sea. This will help them earn more and also provide work throughout the year. With this type of farming, farmers can produce good food for their family and also earn money by selling it in the market.

Functioning of the integrated system

This integrated system has four major components, which together create a sustainable and profitable agricultural model in coastal areas:

Aquaculture: In aquaculture, fish and crabs are reared in saltwater ponds. In this, such fish are selected which sell expensive in the market, such as Asian seabass, ornamental fish, catfish fish, lobster fish, silver carp fish, etc. Along with this, crabs called mud crabs are also reared. Small fish are grown and sold, which gives good income to the farmers.

Poultry Farming: In poultry farming, chickens like cob broiler, layer etc. are reared. These chickens provide both eggs and meat. Special sheds are made for the good care of chickens. This also provides employment to farmers. Chicken droppings are used as manure, which is very beneficial for other crops.

Goat Farming: In goat farming, goats of different breeds are reared. Both milk and meat are obtained from these goats. A clean shed is made for the goats. Curd and cheese can also be made from goat milk, which can be used at home or sold in the market. Goat meat is also sold at good prices in the market. Goat droppings are used as manure in farming, which helps in making the soil fertile.

Horticulture: In horticulture, vegetables are grown on the banks of the pond. Vegetables like tomatoes, brinjals, chillies are sown in it. Special beds are made to grow vegetables. These vegetables can be eaten at home or sold directly in the market. The leftovers are fed to chickens and goats, so nothing is wasted.

This way, multiple jobs are done at one place and everything is put to good use. This benefits farmers more, they get work throughout the year, and they also produce good food for their families.

Advantages of Integrated Aquaculture

The advantages of Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System are as follows:

Nothing goes to waste in this method. Even the leftovers are used. This allows the farmer to produce more.

The farmer has to buy fewer things from outside. For example, less money is spent on animal feed and manure for the field.

This helps the farmer get more crops and earn more.

People living near the sea get work throughout the year.

Farmers become experts in this work and learn many new things.

Every month the farmer gets something to sell, so money keeps coming in every month.

This improves the lives of farmers living near the sea. Their income can double.

This method can last for a long time and it produces food continuously. 

Importance of fish farming

Integrated farming is a method in which farmers do many types of farming at one place. Along with farming, some farmers also do fish farming, which is also called integrated fish farming. There are many benefits of doing integrated farming in this way such as:

The farmer is able to make full use of his land and water.

The fear of loss is reduced by growing many types of crops.

The waste from one work is used in another work.

More and more work can be done in a small space.

The farmer gets food items as well as money to earn.

Economic Outlook

Farmers can earn well from this type of farming. From a large pond, which is equal to about one acre of land, a farmer can earn about Rs 46 lakh in a year. The expenditure on this work is about Rs 34 lakh. This means that the farmer can earn a profit of about Rs 12 lakh in a year. But this income also depends on which fish the farmer is raising and how well he is doing his work.

So, it would not be wrong to say that both integrated agriculture and Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System benefit farmers. This increases their income and they also get work throughout the year.

Also read: This woman farmer’s income increased more than 6 times due to integrated agriculture system

Frequently asked questions

Question: What is meant by Integrated Aquaculture Poultry Goat Farming System?

Answer: This is a method in which farmers can do many things at one place. These include:

Fish farming

Poultry farming

Goat farming

Growing vegetables

In this way, farmers can make full use of their land and water. This is especially beneficial for tribal farmers living near the sea. It helps them earn more.

Question: How to choose fish in integrated aquaculture poultry goat farming system?

Answer: The fish farmer should rear such fish which grow fast, and the fish should be such that it eats whatever grain/food is given. It should also have good immunity. Choose fish seed keeping these things in mind.

Question: How to prepare fish feed?

Answer: Mustard cake, rice polish, fish chick and coarse grains can be added to the diet for fish. The amount of feed should be 1.5% to 3% according to the weight of the fish.

Question: Which breeds are best for goat farming?

Answer: There are some popular breeds for goat rearing in India. Sirohi is best for milk and meat. Beetal is famous for milk production. Jamunapari is suitable for both milk and meat. Barbari is good for meat production. Totapuri is considered good for good meat breed.

Question: How to protect chickens from diseases?

Answer: Vaccination is most important to protect chickens from diseases. Farmers also need to protect chickens from high temperatures, otherwise farmers may have to suffer huge financial losses due to high mortality rate in chickens.

Question: What is the difference between integrated agriculture and integrated aquaculture poultry goat farming?

Answer: Integrated agriculture is a method in which the farmer does many types of farming at one place. Whereas integrated aquaculture poultry goat rearing system includes doing fish farming, poultry farming, goat rearing and farming all together.