Role of Vanaraja as Backyard Poultry in Rural Economy of Tribal Farmers of East District of Sikkim

Intervention of backyard poultry with improved dual purpose bird (Vanaraja) for economic upliftment of the rural economy was taken up by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, East Sikkim as a viable alternative practice in Sikkim, keeping pace with the booming tourism industry. Initially farmers were apprised of the new poultry variety, their housing, brooding, feeding, health care and profitability. The farmers were identified as first-line beneficiaries and a peer pressure oriented group dynamics methodology was followed for self-sustenance of the activity by utilizing the best resourceful persons from the group at the initial stage. The present study was conducted to determine the contribution of Vanaraja poultry towards socio-economic upliftment of the tribal farmer. In the present study, two hundred tribal farmers were selected randomly from the East district of Sikkim. Data was recorded on socio-economic status of farmers (gender, occupation, educational status and poultry farming experience), management practices and occurrence of disease and economics of poultry farming. The study recorded that the average land holding of the farmers was 1.1 ha and the number of poultry birds per family was 2 cocks and 10–12 hens. Ninety per cent of the respondents practiced the semi-intensive system of rearing, whereby kitchen waste and spoilt grains were used to feed their birds. The observations showed a significant increase in the performance of the Vanaraja bird over the indigenous ones; in respect of average body weight of Vanaraja and indigenous at 4 months were 2.8 kg and 0.7 kg, age at first laying 176 and 198 days, average annual egg production 154 and 44 and the benefit: cost ratio per unit of 25 birds 2.47 and 1.74, respectively. Thus, the technology could make an excellent impact in improving the livelihood status and ensuring sustainable food security for the tribal farmers of the East district of Sikkim.