Mixed farming is a system of farming in which a farmer conducts

different types of agricultural practices together, on a single farm

in view of increasing his income through different sources, is
called as mixed farming. But, what is a farm? & what is
Farming? Receiving the radiant energy of sun through crops and
cattle is called as farming whereas, the place where these
practices are done, is called as a farm. Here is one example:
Rearing of cattle and growing fodder for them on a piece of land
is called as farming. In other words, Mixed farming is the
combining of two independent agricultural enterprises on the
same farm.
Mixed farming system can be defined as
(i).The use of a single farm for multiple purposes, as the growing of cash crops or
the raising of livestock is called as mixed farming.
(ii).Farming involving both the growing of crops and the keeping of livestock is
called as mixed farming.
(iii). A type of commercial agriculture concerned with the production of both
crops and animals on one farm. Stock on a mixed farm used to be grazed on
fallow land, but many modern mixed farms produce some, or all, of their fodder
crops.
Mixed farming is a system of farming in which a farmer conducts different types
of agricultural practices together, on a single farm in view of increasing his
income through different sources, is called as mixed farming. But, what is a
farm? & what is Farming?Receiving the radiant energy of sun through crops and
cattle is called as farming whereas, the place where these practices are done, is
called as a farm. Here is one example: Rearing of cattle and growing fodder for
them on a piece of land is called as farming. In other words, Mixed farming is the
combining of two independent agricultural enterprises on the same farm.
In mixed farming a farmer can take up different types of practices for income
generation while doing his main business of agriculture. Some of these practices
that can be done together with the main agricultural practices are poultry
faming, dairy farming, bee keeping, sericulture, Pisciculture, shrimp farming,
goat and sheep rearing, piggery and agro forestry. Thus a farmer can raise his
income manifold through carrying out different farming practices together. The
greatest benefit from this type of farming is that if any one business does not
pay desired benefit, the same can be recovered from the benefit of the other
business.
B. Factors affecting Mixed Farming
A number of factors are there to affect the system of mixed farming. These are
quality of soil, quality of livestock, location of farm, topography, water facility,
technologies used and economic considerations.
C. Merits of Mixed Farming System
The mixed farming system is the largest category of livestock system in the
world which covers about 2.5 billion hectares of land, of which 1.1 billion
hectares are arable rainfed crop land, 0.2 billion hectares are irrigated cropland
and 1.2 billion hectares are grassland. This system of farming produces 92% of
the worlds milk supply.
Some of the important merits of mixed farming are mentioned below.
1.This farming system maintains soil fertility by recycling soil nutrients and
allowing the introduction and use of rotations between various crops and forage

legumes and trees, or for land to remain fallow and grasses and shrubs to
become reestablished;
2. Mixed farming maintains soil biodiversity, minimize soil erosion, help to
conserve water and provide suitable habitats for birds;
3. It makes the best use of crop residues. When they are not used as feed, stalks
may be incorporated directly into the soil, where, for some time, they act as a
nitrogen trap, exacerbating deficiencies. In the tropical semi-arid areas, termite
action results in loss of nutrients before the next cropping season. Burning, the
other alternative, increases carbon dioxide emissions; and
4. Mixed farming allows intensified farming, with less dependence on natural
resources and preserving more biodiversity than would be the case if food
demands were to be met by crop and livestock activities undertaken in isolation.
D. Methods applied in Mixed Farming System
There are a number of methods that are adopted in the mixed farming system.
Some of these methods are being described below1.Food Fodder Farming
In this method of mixed farming, the fodder crops are also grown along with
other crops. Farmers can grow Sorghum, Pusa Giant Napier; berseem etc. as
fodder crops for their cattle alongwith food crops. It is through this system that
the availability of high variety of fodder is ensured for milch cattle while growing
crops for production of grains, pulses, vegetables, oil and fruits etc.
2. Agroforestry System
According to the World Forestry Centre (ICRAF) 1993, - Agroforestry system is a
collective name for the land use systems and practices in which woody perennial
plants are deliberately integrated with crops (and some times animals) on the
same land management unit. The integration can be either in a spatial mixture
or in a temporal sequence. There are normally both ecological and economic
interactions between woody and non-woody components in Agroforestry". Again
in the year 2003, the ICRAF further defined the agroforestry system as - a
dynamic, ecology based, natural resources management system that, through
the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies
and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental
benefits for land users at all levels (World Agroforestry Centre, 2003).According
to another opinion Agro-forestry is sustainable land-management system, which increases the
overall yield of the land, combines the production of crops (including tree crops)
and forest plants or animals simultaneously or sequentially on the same unit of
land and applies management practices that are compatible with the cultural
patterns of local population (King and Chandler, 1978).
Here is another definition of agroforestry Agro-forestry is a land-use that involves deliberate
retention, introduction, or mixture of trees or other woody perennials in crop / animal production field
to benefit from the resultant ecological and economical interactions (Nair, 1984).
In most simple terms - Cultivation of fast growing trees of greater importance
along with crops- plants is called as agro-forestry. For this system, trees of
specific species that have less canopy area and short life cycle are selected.
Papaya and banana are two of such plants that occupy less area and provide
fruits of good commercial value in a comparatively short time. Hence these two
can be selected for the agro-forestry system of farming. Thus by agroforestry, a
farmer can make maximum utilization of his land and can earn more money.
Scientists have been doing research on agroforestry systems since last two
decades or more. Their researches have confirmed that agroforestry has been
persisting with the Indian Culture since Vedic period or even earlier. It has been
confirmed that agroforestry has more biological productivity, more commercial

profitability, and more Ecological Sustainability than forestry or any of the

modern cropping practices.
Following are some of the remarkable benefits from agroforestry systems
Agroforestry Systems can control runoff and soil erosion, thereby reducing
losses of water, soil material, organic matter and nutrients.

They can maintain soil organic matter and biological activity at levels
satisfactory for soil fertility. This depends on an adequate proportion of trees
in the system - normally at least 20% crown cover of trees to maintain organic
matter over systems as a whole.

They can check the development of soil toxicities, or reduce existing

toxicities - both soil acidification and salinization can be checked, and trees
can be employed in the reclamation of polluted soils.

They utilize solar energy more efficiently than monocultural systems different height plants, leaf shapes and alignments all contribute.

They can lead to reduced insect pests and associated diseases, and can
be employed for the reclamation of eroded and degraded lands.

Agroforestry promotes biodiversity, improves wildlife habitats, invites vast

varieties of birds to harbor and reproduce, and attracts insects that feed on
insects. Besides these, the spreading tree biodiversity adds variety to the
landscape and improves aesthetic sense.

These practices enhance the soil, water, air, animal and human resources
of the farm.

The Agroforestry moderates and regulates microclimates.

Trees can probably increase nutrient inputs to agroforestry systems by

retrieval from lower soil horizons and weathering rock. The nitrogen fixing
trees and crop plants add nitrogen to the soil and feed nitrogen to plants that
remain hungry of nitrogen.

The tree litter and pruning that are shed on ground can substantially
contribute to maintenance of soil fertility after their decomposition in the soil.
It leads to large increases in crop yields.

Agroforestry provides a more diverse type of farm economy and stimulates

the whole rural economic systems, leading to more stable farms and
communities. The production of multiple items reduces economic risks.
Agroforestry
Combinations
India has been divided in many agro-ecological regions. Different such regions
practice different agroforestry combinations. Some common agroforestry
combinations are listed below 1. Agri-silviculture: trees+crops
2. Boundary plantation: tree on boundary + crops
3. Block plantation: block of tree+ block of crops
4. Energy plantation: trees+crops during initial years
5. Alley cropping: hedges+ crops
6. Agri-horticulture: fruit trees+crops
7. Agri-silvi-horticulture: trees+fruit trees+crops
8. Agri-silvipasture: trees+crops+pasture or animals
9. Silvi-olericulture: tree + vegetables
10. Horti-pasture: fruit trees pasture or animals
11. Horti-olericulture: fruit tree + vegetables
12. Silvi-pasture: trees+pasture/animals
13. Forage forestry: forage trees+pasture
14. Shelter-belts: trees+crops
15. Wind-breaks: trees+crops
16. Live fence: shrubs and under- trees on boundary

17. Silvi or Horti-sericulture: trees or fruit trees+sericulture

18. Horti-apiculture: fruit trees + honeybee
19. Aqua-forestry: trees + fishes
20. Homestead: multiple combination of trees, fruit trees, vegetable etc.
Besides these common agro-forestry systems, there are many more component
combinations followed in different agroecological regions of India.

3. Hortipastoral System
Growing grasses for cattle in the gardens of fruit trees; or growing fruit trees
while rearing cattle- is called as Hortipastoral system of farming. It is an old and
traditional farming system mainly adopted in dry areas. This system of farming is
also adopted as an alternative land use system in certain northern regions
of India. Farmers in these areas grow fruit trees like guava, mango, citrus,
pomegranate, ber, aonla etc. They rear small cattle that graze on pastures. In
modern times hybrid varieties of fruit trees are being grown in these areas and
people inhabiting these areas earn money from selling fruits, milk, and other
different products.

Mixed Farming: Location and

Characteristics (with maps)
Mixed Farming: Location and Characteristics!
In mixed farming, a farmer combines the cultivation of crops and the
domestication of animals and gets income from both. Mixed farming can,
therefore, serve as a transition between the animal-raising economics and
the crop-raising ones.
This type of mixed farming provides greater security than the growing of a
single crop as in the extensive prairie wheat farms may suffer from market
fluctuations and crop failures.
Mixed farms are moderate in size and usually grow arable crops such as
wheat, barley, oats or rye. Many practise crop rotation, growing root crops,
like turnips or potatoes, and legumes, like peas, beans or clover as an
alternative to cereals in some years. This maintains the fertility of the soil.
Many mixed farms also grow some industrial crops such as sugar beet,
hops, tobacco or flax.
In addition to the arable crops a herd of cattle or sheep is usually kept.
These may be fed on the stubble of cereal crops, helping, with their dung,
to enrich the soil or may be fed on fodder crops such as roots or legumes
grown in the crop rotation system.
Some part of the farm may be kept for beef or milk and sheep for meat Pigs
are also often kept, especially where dairying is practiced as they can be
ted on skim milk and other leftovers from the farm.

Location:
The two most extensive regions of mixed farming are in Eurasia and the
United States (Figure 4.6). This activity takes up more land than any other
type of bio-culture in Europe and is prevalent eastward in an ever
narrowing belt that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with only one
interruption in Eastern Siberia. This belt is the thickest between Ukraine
and central Finland.

In United States mixed farming is the second most extensive type of

agriculture, and covers a large part of eastern half of the country. It extends
through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska on the north, and
Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma and much of Texas on the south.
A small area in Pacific North-West also has mixed farming.
Other regions of mixed farming are: Mexico, South America and Southern
Africa.

Characteristics:
(i) The mixed farming is done for
(a) Sustenance of animals,
(b) For own consumption, and
(c) For commercial sale.
(ii) In mixed farming about 90 per cent land is devoted to agriculture.
(iii) In mixed farming crop rotation is followed in order to maintain soil
fertility.
(iv) The sequence of cultivation in mixed farming is cereal and vegetable
production for own consumption, followed by hay, alfalfa, clover, etc., for
livestock consumption, and finally, some amount of cereal production,
wheat, maize, etc., for commercial sale.
(v) This farming is more mechanised. The use of heavy machines like
tractors, harrowers, thrashers, etc., is very common.
(vi) There is a large-scale use of both organic and inorganic fertilisers.
(vii) The degree of commercialism varies considerably. In west-central
Europe, the northern United States, and Argentina, mixed farming is highly
commercialised, while in other areas the commercialisation is limited.
Objectives of mixed farming (economic and organic)
The overall objective of mixed farming is to realise the optimal result from a
combination of crop and livestock activities. In mixed system crops and livestock
activities compete for the same scarce resources such as land, labour, capital and
skills. Consequently, the production level of livestock in mixed systems (milk
production per animal and per day, growth and reproduction rates), in general, is
lower than in specialised systems.
One of the options to increase productivity through specialisation (economics of
specialisation) while maintaining the complementary economic and environmental
benefits from mixed farming is to form associations with specialised farms. Such
associations should facilitate and guarantee the exchange of crop by products and
residues for manure. An example of a traditional association is the one between
nomads and crop farmers, whereby livestock of nomads convert crop residues
(feed) into manure for crop cultivation.

More recent developments include associations between dairy farmers and

vegetable growers. Similar to organic farming in Europe, an exchange of crop byproducts and residues for manure between specialised ecological farms.
References top:
FAO (1996) Livestock & the environment: Finding a balance, FAO, Rome.
FAO (1999) Manual on Livestock Disease Surveillance and Information Systems, FAO, Rome.
FAO (2001) Animal Production and Health. FAO. Rome.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS
Mixed systems occur in several forms. For example, pastoral systems have experience in the
management of mixed herds and of livestock with feed resources. One form of mixing occurs
where livestock is kept on grazing lands distant from cropland in the EXPAGR mode where
land is abundant. Mixed systems can also occur as a combination of specialized farms that
exchange resources among them, particularly in HEIA. This report focuses on the kind of
mixing that is found in integrated crop-livestock systems. Diversified systems are a
combination of specialized subsystems that aim to reduce risk in conditions of variable but
relatively abundant resources. Strong integration is associated with LEIA and NCA
conditions where use of resources such as fertilizer and fossil fuel is restricted because of
problems with pollution. This gives clues to development workers and policy-makers: cheap
resources lead to specialization, restricted use of resources leads to mixing. An important
aspect in promoting mixed farming is that the yield of the total enterprise is more important
than the yield and/or efficiency of the parts. This is elaborated in the next chapter in which
the technologies are presented.

Mixed Farming: A leveraging asset for inclusive

rural development in India
Over the last few years, structural transformation in the agricultural sector of
developing countries has seen the spread of mixed farming with special
emphasis on livestock products in particular. The main objective of this article is
to highlight the gaps for smallholder livestock producers to gain sustainable
livelihood more effectively. The livestock products discussed include milk, eggs
and meat. The high-value livestock products for big markets have not been
related to the vast majority of smallholders. The rural smallholder livestock
producers mainly rely on informal market institutions to trade their products. It
is argued that this blazing gap in smallholder livestock farming be addressed by
focusing on S&T interventions like Telemedicine, VSAT, and more skill
development centers, more number of para-vets and technical people as a part
of valuable rural asset management.
Introduction

Livestock in mixed farming plays a vital role in the economic development and
life of farmers in India. In the Asian region, livestock provides major additional
contribution to agriculture through draft power, fuel, manure, and as fertilizer.
Besides, animal products such as meat, milk and eggs provide the much
required nutrition to rural population and are also a source of supplementary

cash income. Globally, the livestock sector contributes 30% of the global
agricultural output and uses about 80% of the land used for world agriculture
(Word Bank, 2001). In the developing world, milk and meat production alone
accounts for 26% of the agricultural GDP. The livestock sector has witnessed a
phenomenal growth especially in the last decade owing to increased demand for
food of animal origin and is often termed as the livestock revolution (Chilonda
and Otte, 2006). In India, 79% of rural households belong to the small and
marginal farmers in terms of land holding (NSSO, 2003). So, in rural India
livestock development activity must be undertaken focusing on small and
marginal landholders. This year our focus is on livestock development with
special preference to cattle and buffalo. Other components of livestock like
poultry, piggery will be dealt in subsequent versions of the India S&T report. It is
important to mention here that the observations made here are based on
indicative data only.
Some key statistics on livestock in India
During the period 1997 to 2003, the total livestock population has decreased by
around 14.1%. Among cattle, the population of indigenous breed has decreased
by around 7.6% while crossbreed cattle shows an increase of 12.6%. There are
only 30 breeds of cattle and 6 breeds of buffalo registered with the National
Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal
Fig 1: Change in number of
different types of livestock
during 1997-2003
Source: Livestock Census,
and FICCI presentation

2004

Indias total milk production

as in 2004 stood at 97.1
million tones which accounted
for 14.9% of the global milk
production.
Annual growth
rate of milk production was
4.11% between 1990-91 and 2000-01. The per capita availability of milk in India
is 241 gm/day which is much less than many developed countries like USA (661
gm/day), UK (656 gm/day). The value of consumption of milk and milk products
for 30 day period has increased from Rs. 5.29 (1977-78) to Rs 47.60 (200304) for rural India. Likewise, the value of meat production from beef has also
increased over the years indicating the importance of livestock for rural people
(Animal Husbandry Statistics 2006, www.dahd.nic.in/stat_files/BAHS2006%20web
%20web.pdf)
Production of Eggs and Milk over the years

Fig 2: Milk and Egg production between 1985-86 and 2006-07 in India
Source: Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2008 (Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
(DAHD). New Delhi.)

Meat requirement all over the world

Fig
3: Total
meat
consumption and projected
consumption in the year
2020
Source: IFPRI Vision 2020 brief
61

From the above graph we

have an idea of projected
meat consumption in 2020.
For India the consumption
reaches 8 million tons in
2020 (just double from
1993). This rate is almost same for the rest of the world. We observed a
declining trend of employment in livestock sector from 4.88% in the year 1983
to 3.05% in the year 2000.
Key points to focus on:
Mapping as well as registration of both hybrid as well as indigenous

breeds of different livestock species should be undertaken.

There should be dedicated germplasm conservation centers for indigenous

breeds.
Steps need to be taken to increase the per capita availability of milk,
especially in rural areas.
The gap may be filled up by the processed milk products like khoa, ghee
etc.
Ensuring the standards of selling milk through regulations.
Making a data bank of the processed dairy products both for formal and
informal sector for future policy makers.
As meat consumption projected will be huge, we need to focus on the
production of the livestock not only cattle or buffalos but also other
components of the livestock.
Declining trend of employment in livestock sector can reduce the GDP
growth.
Cattle/Buffalo: capital for the rural people
In general, the small and marginal farmers (approx 79%) in rural India are multi
skilled. They usually utilize their time to earn their livelihood through different
activities, mostly in an unorganized manner. It may be handicrafts, repairing,
manufacturing and seasonal migration to different places to work as daily waged
labor etc. This migration to other areas can be reduced to a great extent if
livestock mainly cattle and buffalo are utilized for supplementary income
generation. Livestock should be promoted as an asset generator as well as
banker for small and marginal multi skilled farmers in the rural areas.
These classes of people also use cattle and buffalo for mortgage to get money
from moneylenders in case of emergency because no formal banking channel is
present to cover the gap. Approximately 79% of the farmers are marginal and
small farmers, so it is quite obvious that majority of them might be mortgaging
their livestock assets in the same way. But the problem lies in the nonavailability of data on these informal transactions.

Case Study
We can take an example of Raman Lal, a villager who had made up his mind to
migrate to other areas, in spite of having livestock, land and house. Because was
unable to manage a decent income for his sustenance. However, after getting
training on livestock mainly on improved cow variety, from Bharatiya Agro
Industries Foundation (BAIF), Pune, a national level NGO, he was able to earn his
livelihood and gave up the idea of migration. Like this there are hundreds of
examples available with different NGOs and different Govt. departments. But there
is a need to move further ahead in an integrative approach.

Status
of
livestock
asset according to land
holding capacity
Fig 4: Percentage of
area
operated
for
animal farming
in
rural India according
to land-holding size
Source: NSS Report
No.493
Appendix
A,
Livestock
Ownership,
2002- 03

Fig 5: Percentage of area of

animal farming for different
livestock in rural India
Source: NSS Report
No.493
Appendix A, Livestock Ownership,
2002- 03

Key points to focus on:

Capacity building of

rural
farmers
in
livestock development
multi-skill
training
centre.
Linking of all the training centers across the nation with Central Training
Centre through VSAT.
Use the training centers as marketing channels as well as for resource
mobilization.
Generation and recording of data on livestock in these centers.

Milk and its products and marketing

Milk is an important source of nutrition as well as earning from livestock for rural
people. There are two main ways of selling or marketing milk - through cooperatives and informal way. Operation flood has had significant impact on the
Dairy Cooperative Network. As on March 2007 it:
includes 170 milk unions
operates in over 346 districts
covers around 1,22,534 village level societies
has around 12.96 million farmer-members of which 3.4 million are women
But more needs to be done to cover approximately 0.63 million villages under
dairy cooperatives because it can boost the income level of the marginal
farmers. Everyone is quite familiar with the story of AMUL, which started way
back in 1946. But after that no such successful events has reoccurred in Indian
dairy sector, especially in marketing. In West Bengal, Assam, Bihar so many
efforts were initiated like Janata Dairy, Kamul etc. but they were not successful

and some of them are non-existent now. The main reasons for success or failure
are administrative handling, cooperative support, quality of product and of
course business culture. These reasons make a difference between AMULs
success story and others failure.
The other method of marketing or selling milk is the informal way. A large
number of villages around cities, town, and semi urban areas use this method
for marketing milk. The inherent problem with this method is that the farmers do
not get proper price of their product. For instance, in Orissa, only 5% of the total
marketable supply of milk is handled through cooperatives in which the profit
margin is 0.22 US$ per kg of raw milk while the informal sellers like local
milkman or per-urban farmers could get only about 0.13 US$ per kg.
The quality of the milk sold informally is also of poor quality because these milk
traders do not follow any safety standard guidelines or rules. From the
nutritional point people consuming this milk are deprived of proper nutrition.
Farmers probably get attracted by this informal channel for short term profit due
to their unawareness of government schemes. Though this scenario may be
prevalent across the nation there is no proper mapping of this informal way of
selling of milk for the whole country. Here lies the utility of the multi skill training
centre, which would acts as an information kiosk for the community as well as a
collection funnel for data needed by the policy planners. Number of Dairy
cooperatives registered under the Central Authority is 141 and for private dairies
the figure is 103 and for others including mother dairies etc. it is 26 only. But for
the state registration authorities the numbers are 105, 390 and 24.
[Source: www.dahd.nic.in/stat_files/BAHS2006%20web%20web.pdf]
Dairy Industries
As per MSME Census 2001-02, only 0.15% of the total registered MSMEs are
related to dairy products (like manufacturing of ghee, khoa, ice-ream, sweet
meats) in rural India. And for unregistered MSMEs, it is approximately 0.7%
(sample based survey). So, the number of dairy related MSME is very less
compared to other MSMEs. Further, there is no data regarding how much khoa,
ghee or dairy related household products are produced everyday through the
informal route which is an important indicator of income generation.
Key points to focus on:
Identification of the

gaps between formal and informal marketing

channels.
Using the multi-skill training centers as a marketing channel for milk and
its products.
Formation of dairy specific SHG groups for implementation of the
schemes.
Number of cooperatives is also less. We need to focus on increasing the
number of Co-operatives.

Nutritional intake in rural India and Milk

As per NSSO (Report No. 513), the average daily intake of calories by rural
population has dropped by 106 kcal over a period of 10 years. In 1993-94 it was
2153 kcal which decreased to 2047 kcal during 2004-05. Simultaneously, the
share of food expenditure has dropped by 8.2% and 12.2% in rural and urban
areas respectively.

In a recent report published by International Food Policy Research Institute

(IFPRI) India stands 66th in Global Hunger Index (GHI) out of total 88 countries.
The report also pointed out that children under age 5 are mostly suffering from
mal nutrition.
Key points to focus on:
The nutritional intake gap can be narrowed by consuming more milk.
Increase earning capacity of small and marginal land holders through

other
livelihood
options,
so that the available milk is used for self consumption.
Production of milk in rural households can serve as a major nutrient
source.

Rural transport and Bullock Cart

Since time memorial the bullock cart has been one of the predominant modes of
transport in rural India. Around 15 million bullock carts are in use fulfilling twothirds of rural Indias transportation needs and providing employment to an
estimated 20 million people (Ramanujam, 1993). Unlike many other traditional
aspects of rural Indian, the bullock cart successfully survived the massive
onslaught of technology. So long as our village roads are not improved and made
fit for mechanized transport, the role played by bullock carts will continue. Even
if the rural roads are improved, bullock cart transportation is going to survive
because of its user-friendliness in terms of low investment and non-technical
nature of the material. Thus, it is evident that bullock cart is an important source
of revenue generation in rural India.
Key point to focus on:
Increasing efficiency of bullock cart through technological inputs because

it is not only cheap and revenue generating but also eco friendly in rural
areas.