International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Thawale SM, Shendage PN and Gadakh AS

abstract
Integrated farming is defined as a biologically integrated system, which integrates natural resources in a regulated mechanism into farming activities to achieve maximum replacement of off-farm inputs and sustain farm income. The productivity of a diversified cropping system always tends to increase when it is integrated with dairy, horticulture components. The present investigation on economics of integrated farming systems for doubling farmer’s income in Western Maharashtra helps farmers to achieve maximum returns and income from different integrated components, thereby improving their standard of living. The primary data were collected from 12 Villages of Kolhapur, Pune and Nashik district. The total sample size for the study was 180 farmers. The finding of study observed that among the identified integrated farming system, crop + dairy + horticulture (C+D+H) farming system was profitable as indicate from the B:C ratio i.e. 1.68, followed by crop + dairy (C+D) i.e. 1.40 followed by crop only i.e. 1.25. Also the IBCR of crop + dairy + horticulture (C+D+H) farming system was 1.93 followed by crop + dairy (C+D) i.e. 1.53 Therefore, It was concluded that farm income from the farming system i.e. crop + dairy + horticulture (C+D+H) was more than the crops only in the study area. So that, intensification of Integrated farming system with crop, dairy and horticulture, should be popularized among the farmers on a larger scale, as it provides scope for higher returns.