Mixed Farming in Organic Systems: Benefits and Disadvantages

Mixed farming involves cultivation of crops alongside rearing of animals for meat, milk, hides or skin. There is a synergy between the crops and animals, where the dung or droppings from animals is used to fertilize crops while the produce or residues from crops are fed to the animals.

The system enhances recycling of resources thus making crop and livestock production largely in balance with nature as such promoting organic agricultural production.

Mixed farming is a system of farming which involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock. It involves cultivation of crops alongside rearing of animals for meat, milk, hides or skin. It is an environmental friendly agricultural production system because it is at least a partially closed system.

The waste product (crop residues) of one enterprise (crop production) which would otherwise be loaded on to the natural resource base are used by the other enterprise (livestock production) which returns its own waste products (manure) back to the first enterprise.

It means that dung or droppings from animals is used to fertilize crops while the produce or residues from crops is fed to the animals. The system enhances recycling of resources thus making crop and livestock production largely in balance with nature as such promoting organic agricultural production.

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Benefits of Mixed Farming Systems

1. The system helps maintain ecosystem function and health by promoting greater biodiversity.

2. It maintains soil fertility by recycling soil nutrients thus reducing the need for artificial fertilizers.

3. Enhances water conservation and reduces erosion.

4. Makes the best use of crop residues as when they are not used as feed, stalks may be incorporated into the soil as manure.

5. It enhances intensive farming with less dependence on natural resources and preserving more than would be the case if food demands were to be met by crop and livestock production undertaken in isolation.

6. Farmers can keep their fields under continuous thus enhancing greater food security and improved household nutrition levels.

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Disadvantages of Mixed Farming Systems

1. Production levels can be lower than in specialized systems(monoculture).

2. Overgrazing has resulted in some systems been degraded.

3. Initial cost of establishment could be high.

4. Controlling, monitoring and maintenance of the farm may be difficult because of the multiple activities running simultaneously.

Mixed farming (crop and animal production) systems are an environmentally friendly agricultural production system because it is a partially closed system where the waste product of one enterprise would be used as a resource by the other enterprise. The crop residues are used as feed for the animals while their dung is used as manure for the crops.

Mixed farming involves cultivation of crops alongside rearing of animals for products such as meat, milk, hides or skin. The system helps maintain ecosystem function and health, soil nutrients and moisture etc.

The practice however has some drawbacks such as high cost of initial establishment, lower production than in specialized systems (monoculture) also controlling, monitoring and maintenance of the farm may be difficult because of the multiple activities running simultaneously.

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