Integrated Fish Cum Duck Farming for Sustainable Livelihood of Small and Marginal Farmers

Integrated fish farming is a combination of two or more farming systems such as fish-livestock farming, fish-agriculture/ horticulture farming etc. The basic principle involved in integrated fish farming is complete utilization of farm wastes, which are recycled into the fish pond (as manure/fertilizer) to enhance its primary productivity. However, it has been found that recycling of wastes from dairy, poultry and piggery into fish ponds enhances the natural food of fish in the pond and it reduces the expenditure on supplementary feed by 25-100 per cent. Hence, there is an urgent need to create awareness among farmers to integrated fish farming with livestock and poultry to raise their income. Among the different integrated fish farming systems, fish-duck farming is one of the input cost system, suitable for small and marginal farmers. In integrated fish-cum-duck farming system, famers can get enhanced productivity and additional food/nutritional security through fish/duck meat and egg production, higher income per unit area (economic benefits) and strengthening of rural economy involving small and marginal farmers. This type of low input practice provides regular income, risk coverage, food diversity and can help in doubling small and marginal farmer’s income and for sustainable livelihood with due environmental considerations.