Integrated Farming Systems Approach for Income Enhancement and Employment Generation in North-West India

A study was conducted during 2011–12 on the Punjab farmers to find out the productivity, profitability and employment generation of integrated farming system as compared to conventional cropping system. The study comprised of two integrated farming systems viz., crop + dairy and crop + forestry. Both these integrated farming systems were productive and profitable than that of sole cropping system. The net returns increased in the tune of 18.82 per cent and 2.61 per hectare with inclusion of dairy and forestry enterprises, respectively over sole cropping system. The study also indicated that crop + dairy farming system generated 27.04 mandays/hectare/annum/farm employment for family, 34.42 mandays/hectare/annum/farm for hired labour and 61.46 mandays/hectare/annum/farmas total labour. In case of crop + forestry, it was observed that employment generated through crop + forestry farming system for family labour was 26.27 mandays/hectare/annum/farm, for hired labour was 38.70 mandays/hectare/annum/farm and for total labour was 64.97 mandays/hectare/annum/farm.