Farm diversification through Duckery & local hen

    Repeated appearance of Bird flu, the avian influenza has almost threatened the very existence of local duck and hen in west and south Tripura district of Tripura.

   It is due to these reasons that many local duck and hen got perished and it has greatly affected the people at large economically and nutritionally too.
   The price of local egg & chicken therefore are excessively high for normal people to afford for consumption.

  Now, the situation; at least market situation at local market is favorable as far as price index of the product like egg and meat are concerned. This is with the business point of view of the people who deals or wish to deal with such product in future.

  Now, let us see the local egg market in Agartala is concerned; whether local hen and duck are concerned, price of local egg is almost double as compare to the available  poultry egg brought from outside state, same is with the local chicken; it is more than double the rate of broiler chicken.

   Even at the double the rate of poultry / farm egg, the demand for local egg is continuous and imparellel, it throws a special scope of profit making through local duck and hen farming by local people at large. This is especially appropriate for farming family to look into and follow up.

    One demerits /  disadvantage of local duck or hen is; numbers of egg per year is less compare to improved varieties White leghorn  & Campbell and there is also time span for attaining the maturity for laying eggs of local duck and fowl.
It is comparatively more incase of local breeds.

   But, with the little disadvantage, these local breeds of duck and hens are also advantageous in many ways compare to highly improved breed. This is because, these local breed can be managed with low cost feed and other requirement for rearing of duck and hen is also manageable.

  Another fact is; the main motto for utilizing and keeping of local duck and hen are to have better utilizing the farm resources. In the process farmer can earn some extra benefit or income from the diversified activity and at the same time nutritional requirement of the family or more precisely protein requirement is fulfilled through this process.

   One of the important considerations that come into favour of the farmer is; he can save lots of money which might have been spent had he not maintained all these diversified activities in his farming endeavor.

    Typically, a well diversified farm owner will not require to purchase any outside food stuff because , the produces and all the needed food staff are produced in his farm thereby he is stabilizing his income as well as family needs..

   But, fact of the matter is; you hardly find any ideal farm where there are diversified activities creating a continuous flow of energy and nutrition required for the family members.

Agritangkol dated 07.07.2012