Case Study Report on Promoting Coconut Based Agro ... - APFED

espect to Pattanakkad block; it was decided to adopt a participatory approach of
data/information collection.
The information was generated based on observations during the field visits,
observations monitored during the project and after the project, sample surveys and
discussions with different stakeholders in the project area including individual household,
farm clubs, charitable society, coconut product processing units and staffs of the project.
Random sampling was adopted for different items / components, among 4 villages, Aroor,
Vayala, Pattanakkad and kodamthurth were selected for the survey to represent south and
north eastern radius of the Pattanakkad block.
5. Findings:
The survey conducted in four villages namely Arror, Vayalar, Pattanakka and
kodamthuruth of Pattanakkad Block, Kerala presents the integrated farming practices
such as growing of multi species crop, livestock maintenance and waste biomass
utilization at the household level as well as community level. Socio-economic benefits
such as livelihood and income generation from the current farming practices and biomass
utilization were also explored. And finally, the impact of participatory approach and
capacity building to empower women community and Project sustainability was assessed.
5.1 Promoting integrated ecological farming system
To create multiple sources of food, income and employment from unit land
holdings under coconut farm, Peekay Tree Crop Foundation successfully demonstrated
integrated ecological farming system in small and marginal landholders covers 395
hectares and total number of households benefited was 2150 (PIA, <strong>Report</strong> 2009). All
farmers in the study area are holding a small piece of land with an area of 0.01 to 0.4 ha.
During field visit we found that farmers adapted various combinations of integrated
farming system and the same were depicted in Table 1, the detail plant and animal species
name are listed in Annexure 1. The Pie chart (fig. 3) describes that; all farmers
participated and benefited more of less equally by adapting different combination of
integrations. From the field observation it was also noticed that introduction of different
combinations of integrated farming systems helps in increase in soil moisture, improving
the quality of local environment and strengthen on farm biodiversity. Introducing