Integrated Farming Systems Approach of PAU Awardee Farmers for Income and Employment Enhancement in Punjab

A study was conducted during 2011-12 on the Punjab farmers under the name of “Integrated Farming Systems Approach of PAU Awardee Farmers for Income and Employment Enhancement in Punjab” to find productivity, profitability and employment generation of integrated farming system as compared to conventional cropping systemunder Punjab conditions. The study comprised of two integrated farming systems viz., crop + fruit farming system and crop + poultry farming system. Both these integrated farming systems were productive and profitable than that of sole cropping system. The net returns increased by 3.24 per cent and .60 per hectare with inclusion of fruits and poultry enterprises, respectively over sole cropping system. The study also indicated that crop + fruit farming system generated 28.51 mandays/hectare/annum/farm employment for family, 44.57 mandays/hectare/annum/farm for hired labour and 73.08 mandays/hectare/annum/farmers total labour. In case of crop + poultry, it was observed that employment generated through crop + poultry farming system for family labour was 36.54 mandays/hectare/annum/farm, for hired labour was 58.25 mandays/hectare/annum/farm and for total labour was 94.79 mandays/hectare/annum/farm.