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 FarmingA 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 SystemThe 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 world’s 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; and4. 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 SystemThere are a number of methods that are adopted in the mixed farming system. Some of these methods are being described below-1.Food –Fodder FarmingIn 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 SystemAccording 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+crops2. Boundary plantation: tree on boundary + crops3. Block plantation: block of tree+ block of crops4. Energy plantation: trees+crops during initial years5. Alley cropping: hedges+ crops6. Agri-horticulture: fruit trees+crops7. Agri-silvi-horticulture: trees+fruit trees+crops8. Agri-silvipasture: trees+crops+pasture or animals9. Silvi-olericulture: tree + vegetables10. Horti-pasture: fruit trees pasture or animals11. Horti-olericulture: fruit tree + vegetables12. Silvi-pasture: trees+pasture/animals13. Forage forestry: forage trees+pasture14. Shelter-belts: trees+crops15. Wind-breaks: trees+crops16. Live fence: shrubs and under- trees on boundary17. Silvi or Horti-sericulture: trees or fruit trees+sericulture18. Horti-apiculture: fruit trees + honeybee19. Aqua-forestry: trees + fishes20. 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 SystemGrowing 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 by-products 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. IntroductionLivestock 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 IndiaDuring 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 1997-2003Source:  Livestock Census, 2004 and FICCI presentation India’s 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 (2003-04) 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 IndiaSource: 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 2020Source: 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 non-availability 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 sizeSource: NSS Report No.493 Appendix A, Livestock Ownership, 2002- 03 

Fig 5: Percentage of area of animal farming for different livestock in rural IndiaSource: 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 marketingMilk 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 co-operatives 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 AMUL’s 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 IndustriesAs 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 MilkAs 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 CartSince 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 two-thirds of rural India’s 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.