Sustainable livelihood management of small holders farmers through crop and livestock enterprises

Farmer FIRST project entitled “Integrated approaches for food, nutrition and livelihood security of rural households in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh” has been undertaken to enhance farmers” income through adoption of integrated farming system. Under this project, after problem identification, suitable interventions were formulated and implemented in three villages of Fatehpur district to achieve sustainable economic development and increased nutritional security of the farm families. Incidence of wilt and pod borer were the major problems faced by the chickpea growers in this area. To overcome these problems, a total of 236 farmers were provided with wilt resistant chickpea variety (JG16) and insecticide (indoxacarb @ 0.5ml/lit). To utilize fallow land during summer season, mungbean was introduced in the project area to generate additional income. Farmers were provided with improved vegetable varieties of okra, bottle guard, sponge guard and pumpkin. System of Rice Intensification (SRI method) of paddy cultivation was demonstrated in project area. The recorded yield of paddy (NDR-2064 variety) under farmer's field was 65.8 q/ha in comparison to local yield under normal method was 54.7 q/ha. Poultry units were established in project area to demonstrate the poultry breed to generate income and employment for rural youth and women farmers. Farmers with 15-20 birds were earning a net monthly income of INR 1210 and generated 60 hours employment per month. Similarly farmers having 25-50 birds were earning INR 6010 and generated 90 hours employment per month and additional income of farmers at large scale with 55-110 poultry birds were getting INR 12885 and generate 120 hours employment per month. 33 goats (28 goats & 5 bucks) of two breeds “Barberi” and “Bundhelkhand Local” were provided to women Self Help Groups of the project area for the enhancing income and employment generation.