Integrated farming startup project- Need valuable suggestions from the forum

Farm Questions
1

This topic may be discussed several times.Please forgive me for re-posting. But to my specific project I would like to have the expert opinion of the forum.

Dear All,
I am P Pradhan, from Balasore, Odisha,a s/w Engineer by profession, working for an MNC in Bangalore but a Farmer by heart :wink:
Its been a while a have been following this site and found to be very informative and I would like to know your views on the following things before I bid adieu to IT and hug the mother nature .

We have around 30-35 acres of land in Balasore, which is 15km away from the township. We are planning to start farming there. Currently only rice is cultivated during rainy season. And around 5-6 acres are not utilized for any crops as the brackish water has made those land unproductive for past decade. But on enquiry from the local farmers, told me that 15-20 years back they used to grow varieties of crops including vegetables like Radish, Groundnut, Tomato, wheat, Onion, Banana etc from that land.

Now keeping that in view, we are planning to start an integrated farming which may consists Rice, Oil seeds, vegetables, Fishery, Poultry, Goatery, Dairy, some sort of Timber wood plantation, Mushroom, Nursery etc. But unfortunately none in my family is into hardcore farming business. So we would like to have your kind guidance on this.

I have gathered some information on farming from various websites and going through farmnest blogs boosted my confidence that I can utilize my resources appropriately if you could spare a little time and share your valuable inputs/ experiences/ expertise in this field to materialize my Dream.

To give you a small picture of the current situation, early this year we installed a deep bore well and constructed a small farm house as part of infrastructure development. Also we had tried Rice during this summer on a trial basis using 10 acres of land but unfortunately early monsoon / heavy rain somewhat damaged the crop during the harvesting period. So, I am little worried about this situation.

Could you please help me getting some projects/economics on animal husbandry/ fishery/ agriculture so that I can anticipate some assured earnings. And yes, I am not a BIG budget guy :frowning: So it would be kind of you if some details of the subsidies available for current financial year for the above fields are shared.

Your kind suggestions are much appreciated and eagerly awaited.
Best Regards,
P Pradhan

1 Like
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Hope fully development will take 5-10 laks
5-6 acre Brackish water: Go for fish culture by forming farm ponds. It is a profitable business. By renting a JCB can form ponds with little investment.

Form poultry sheds in way it have extension in to ponds in a way the poultry droppings fell on the water. The poultry droppings will be feed for fish.

Hope forming ponds will take 50000, and 5 poultry sheds will take around 250000.

In remaining field intially start 40 goat units with 2-3 acres fodder. The shed and local goats will cost around 100000.

Initially introduce 3 cows with 1 acre fodder. Later from the kids may increase dairy unit. Tis will take around 120000 including a shed.

This will be with 5 lakhs.

All these are highly profitable investments and economics are easily availble in the websites.

If you get 10 lakhs then increase the dairy unit as much as possible

3

I have one doubt, when poultry shed made above pond, feed waste as well as poultry manure will drop in the water. poultry manure is good fertiliser with high content of nitrogen

a) So allowing poultry manure in water or selling poultry manure and feed fish sepearately which is better

b) over droping of poultry manure in pond may polute the pond and make stinky, whether it will spoil fish health as well as ecology of the pond?

rgds
mathew

4

So that the integrated fish-poultry system is little modified. The feed and bedding materials are not exposed to pond. the shed is constructed in away half portion with in the land where bedding material, feeder and water are available to chicks. Then the pond exposed side is slightly raised and bottom with grills or bamboo poles and space for droppings fell down to ponds. It acts like baclony for chicks they will wander over the balcony and any droppings in that portion fell in to pond.

The poultry droppings reduce the cost of buying commerical fish feed to some extend.
After Fish-harvest the bottom sediments called dykes can be removed and used as fertilizer in the farm.

400 birds provide sufficient dropings for 1 acre can produce 2000Kg fish. Introducing optimum number of birds will not pollute the water body. Anyway the pond will be desilted and dried in summer every year.
For 5 acre may introduce 2000 birds in 5 places will be sufficient.

5

Sir

it means in integrated poultry and fish cultivation practice, we do not need to provide any outside feed to fish. is my understanding correct?

for half acere pond poultry of 1000 birds in batch is workable?

rgds
mathew

6

Yes you don’t need to feed fish. The fish will take 6-8 months to become table size and harvest.
For 1/2 acre 200 chiks are enough.
If you grow for egg production grow chicks up to 72weeks (~1.5 years) without changing.
If go for broiler introduce 200 every 8 weeks. If country chicks for meat introduce once in 16 weeks. First 8 week young chicks need high temperature and grow in small partition in the bottom with lamp to provide heat.
If the pond looks bluish green the oxygen level in water may decrease. immediately pumpout and load fresh water.

If you want to grow 1000 chicks introduce 200 in pond system, and grow the remaining separately in normal poultry shed.

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Dear Mr.Pradhan :
By introduction,i am a horticulturist having working experience of nearly 35 yrs of practicing apart from my educational background.Moreover ,I warked in the district of balasore (around jaleshar) some times ago.

As you have bore well(DTW) it can comply your water requirement round the year if planned properly.
As regards , summer paddy your transplanting time could be adjusted so that it could be harvested before commencing of rains and I am 100% sure you will harvest a much higher production.

As your farm is 30 -35 acres ,it is not a matter of joke and could be managed properly with some flying discussion. It require and through planning to get success.
Thanks,
DG

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Hi All,

100 chickens are good enough for 1 Acre Fish Farming. Alternatively, you can also use fresh cow (3 cows is good enough) dung as fish feed.

Broiler is not a good option as you have to buy feed for them or make them. Instead, you can go for Desi Chicken which will find their own feed from the farm and in the night, the chickens can be made to stay in the cage above the water (1 metre from the water) and the droppings can be utilized as fish feed. To some extent, you have to feed them in the evening so as to make them come to the resting place.

Regards
Padmanabhan Ganesan
agricultureforeverybody.blogspot.com

9

Hi Pradhan
Any update on your integrated farming. I am sailing as the same boat as yours.

Please update

Regards
Murali
9663033844

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This was an excellent agricultural venture with lots to learn for everyone - I would be glad to find out what happened with this and if anyone has established a similar venture.

Have a great week!