Integrated Crop-Livestock Farming System and Its Impact on Livelihood and Sustainability of Poor Farmers in Bulandshahr District, U.P.

Abstract

Integrated crop-livestock farming System (ICLFS) has been traditionally practiced in India since antiquity. It plays a pivotal role in generation of employment and livelihood, improving health and nutrition intake. This system is beneficial for maintaining sustainable agriculture through mutual utilization of waste products from livestock to cultivation of crops and crop residues to livestock husbandry. ICLFS helps in reducing the greenhouse gases through plant growth along with livestock husbandry. The study aims to understand the mechanism of crop-livestock integration, degree of livelihood generation, economics of crop-livestock integrated farming system and its impact on socio-economic development in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Data were collected from published records as well as through filed survey of sampled villages. Arbitrary choice method has been used to identify the principal crops grown in association with livestock, thus, total 5 ICLFS recognized that are practiced in study area. The result of the study shows that The income and employment generated through ICLFS have been found to be more beneficial to poor farmers like land less, marginal and small farmers, livestock husbandry in combination provides some partial jobs to the household members especially during off farm season, ICLFS is the important tools or means for improving farmers income, poverty alleviation, soil ecology equilibrium and economic empowerment of women in the study area particular and in the country general.