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1982 ). “The household, its resources and the resource flows and interactions at the
individual farm levels are together referred to as a farm system” (FAO 2001 ). A
common characteristic of integrated farming systems is that they invariably have a
combination of crop and livestock enterprises and, in some cases, may include com-
binations of poultry, agroforestry, horticulture, apiary, etc. Further, there are syner-
gies and complementarities between different enterprises that form the basis of the
concept of Integrated farming system (IFS) (Lightfoot and Minnick 1991 ; Jitsanguan
2001 ; Radhammani et al. 2003 ). Integration usually occurs when outputs (usually
by-products) of one enterprise are used as inputs by another within the context of
the farming system. The difference between mixed farming and integrated farming
is that enterprises in the integrated farming system are mutually supportive and
depend on each other (Csavas 1992 ). The synergy between enterprises increases
with on-farm diversity and is fundamental to the IFS concept. Diversification of
farming activities improves the utilization of labor, reduces unemployment in areas
where there is a surplus of underutilized labor, and provides a source of living for
those households that operate their farms as a full-time occupation.
In South Asia, annual crops, perennial tree crops, ruminants and non-ruminants
are maintained in integrated farming systems. However, on the small farms, rumi-
nants are more widely reared than non-ruminants. More than 90 % of the total popu-
lation of large and small ruminants is kept on mixed farms in the South Asian region
(Devendra 1983 ). In rainfed annual cropping systems, ruminants graze native
grasses and weeds on roadside verges, on common property resources, or in stubble
after the crop harvest. In India, in regions with 500–700 mm of rainfall, farming
systems should be based on livestock with the promotion of low-water-requiring
grasses, trees and bushes to meet fodder, fuel and timber requirements of the farm-
ers (Vittal et al. 2003 ). In 700–1100 mm rainfall regions, crop, horticulture and
livestock-based farming systems can be adopted depending on the soil type and the
marketability factors. Runoff harvesting is a major component in this region in the
watershed-based farming system. In areas where the rainfall is more than 1100 mm,
the IFS module integrating paddy with fisheries is ideal (Fig. 2 ). There are several
modules of rainfed rice cultivation, along with fisheries, in the medium to lowlands
of rainfed rice-growing regions in the eastern states of India.
There are few examples of improved pastures being used in these systems; in Sri
Lanka, integrated perennial-tree-crop–animal systems include coconut/fruits/cattle/
goats, where the ruminants graze the understorey of native vegetation or legumi-
nous cover crops. However, these systems can evolve into more intensive produc-
tion systems depending on the availability of feed, markets, and the development of
cooperative movements. This is evident in South Asia, e.g. Bangladesh, where root
crops are produced, and pig production is based on cassava and sweet potato
(Devendra and Thomas 2002 ). Rearing livestock such as small and large ruminants
at home by transitory vulnerable-category communities for different livestock prod-
ucts has been a traditional activity in rainfed Pothwar areas of Pakistan; also an
important means to fulfill the livelihood requirements of people below the poverty
line (Zahra et al. 2014 ). Range-based small ruminant production is the major activ-
ity in the area coupled with rainfed agriculture. Sheep and goats are the main live-
C. Srinivasa Rao et al.