International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Shubha M, Mamatha Girish, MR Girish and KL Manish

abstract
This study investigates the costs and returns structure, employment generation potential, and income dynamics across various farming systems in the Kolar district, Karnataka, India. The primary data were collected from 30 sample farmers across the Malur and Kolar taluks. The study identified four predominant farming systems: Crop + Sheep (C + Sh), Crop + Dairy (C + D), Crop + Dairy + Horticulture (C + D + H), and Crop + Dairy + Sericulture (C + D + S). The age distribution of farmers showed that 70% were between 31 to 50 years old, reflecting significant farming experience. Education levels were generally low, with 33.35 per cent being illiterate, and 90 per cent of the farmers lived in nuclear families. The Crop + Dairy + Sericulture system yielded the highest net annual income at ?376,453, with sericulture contributing 57.72 per cent of this income. In contrast, the Crop + Sheep system had the lowest net annual income at ?109,755. Employment generation was also highest in the Crop + Dairy + Horticulture system, with 484 man-days and 466 woman-days of family labor. The analysis indicates that diversified farming systems incorporating multiple components like dairy, horticulture, and sericulture significantly enhance income and employment potential.