MARGAO
Welcome to Macazana village where a retired postman Cristovam Souza and his son Salvador Souza have made the best use of their land to implement an integrated farming system and reap rich dividends.
Recipient of the Fr Inacio Almeida Organic Farming Award, Cristovam has adopted organic farming by utilizing the available land resources and methods of integrated farming system.
Located in Macazana village in Salcete taluka, part of Cristovam’s farm was affected by waterlogging making it marshy land. It was then converted into two ponds with approximate areas of 4000 sq m and 1500 sq m for rainwater harvesting.
Says Margao Zonal Agricultural Officer Sheriff Furtado, “Integrated farming system implemented by Cristovam has brought him rich dividends. He is a retired postman and had developed the farm when he was in service. Fish like Tilapia, sea-bass, pulse pot and common carp are being cultivated in the pond. Annually 1700 kg of fish is harvested earning him Rs 150000 with minimum cost of production. Only investment is the purchase of fish seed”
Poultry has been the main source of income for Cristovam and he has constructed a poultry farm unit above the farm pond utilizing the aerial space for vertical sustainable farming system. “The poultry waste is utilized as manure for the crops and also as feed for fish in the pond. In a moth we sell about 400 poultry birds, making an income of Rs 40000 per month,” Furtado added.
The farmer has two local breeds of cow providing milk for daily consumption and manure for the crop. He also rears10 goats of Konkan Kanyal breed. The farm also consists of a small piggery unit of local and Agonda breed.
As he learned the art of plant propagation by layering and grafting techniques, Cristovam sells layers and grafts of rose apple, lemon and mango. “He is planning to establish a biogas plant, vermicompost unit and commercial oyster mushroom production unit. The practice of integrated organic farming has given his family food security. The considerable extent of integration done in the farm has reduced dependence on the market as the farm inputs are largely being generated in the farm itself,” Furtado added.
Most of the farm produce is sold from the farm itself, so the place is a mini-market providing buyers fresh produce.
The Margao Zonal Agricultural Officer said the integrated farming system is a commonly used term to explain a more integrated approach to farming compared to monoculture approach. It refers to agricultural systems that integrate livestock and crop production or integrate fish and livestock and may sometimes be known as integrated biosystems.
IFS is a farming practice meant for the all-round development of agriculture with animal husbandry and other occupations related to core agricultural practices. It has the capability to make the sector profitable.
