Why Organic Poultry farming makes sense PRAMADA GURUNG

Traditional backyard poultry farming is an age-old practice around the world. This backyard poultry sector consists of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons and guinea fowls. They are scavengers and largely subsist by scavenging in gardens, around the farm feeding on crop residues, insects, worms and green forages. Highly resistant to diseases, poultry is reared by small marginal farmers to supplement their income and livelihood. The growing demand for indigenous eggs and low investment in backyard sector provides an opportunity for the rural poor particularly women for more gainful supplementary income generation opportunities for the family. Small farming families, landless labourers and people below poverty line are able to raise indigenous chicken with low inputs and harvest the benefits as eggs and meat via scavenged feed resources. The most preferred quality chicken meat and egg come from the backyard poultry sector.
Organic farming has been an integral part of life in many parts of the country. Raising organic poultry can be very satisfying. Farming organic chicken in our own backyard is more satisfying. The main aim of organic farming is to establish and maintain soil-plant, plant-animal, animal-soil independence and to produce a sustainable agro ecological system based on the local resources. The poultry sector plays a significant role in improving the socio economic condition of rural masses.
Sikkim being an agricultural state and rich in organic farming, organic poultry farming can be a great supplement. Organic poultry is poised to transform the poultry sector to the next level of animal agricultural development and the agricultural cycle is incomplete without the involvement of domesticated livestock that play a major role in the cycle under the organic livestock farming.
[The writer is studying at College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry, Selesih, Aizawl, Mizoram]