Sustainable Agriculture and Food: Four volume set (Earthscan Reference Collections)

428 Modern Agricultural Reforms

addition, in the homestead garden, about 10 pigs are raised twice a year and 375kg
of vegetables can be provided for the whole family. About 250kg of grapes are har-
vested per year from the 40 grape vines planted in the garden.

Perspectives

Merits of the homestead garden ecosystem
Generally, a homestead garden ecosystem has significant economic, ecological and
social benefits and farmers therefore take a positive attitude to this practice. Since

Table 18.1 Energy flow of the household ecosystem (June 1992 to May 1995 means)

Item Quantity/yr MJ/yr

I. 448,600MJSolar energy 448,600

II. Industrial energy

1 Insecticides

2 Chemical fertilizer

3 Plastics

4 Machinery and tools

5 Electric

6 Coal

18,919MJ

6kg

20kg

45kg

0.41kg

700kwh

1 ton

18,919

2183

342

4712

31

8393

3259

III. Biomass input from outside the system

1 Grain and soya bean oil

2 Feed

3 Cultural material for edible mushrooms

4 Pigs

127,424MJ

525kg

3255kg

6683kg

88kg

127,424

9156

36,411

80,381

1477

IV. Human labour 2345h 1759

V. Biomass harvested from the system

1 Vegetables

2 Grapes

• Consumption by residents


• Export to market
  3 Oyster mushrooms


• Consumption by residents


• Export to market
  4 Pork


• Consumption by residents


• Export to market
  5 Residue after cultivating oyster mushrooms


• Feed


• Stored compost returned to farmlands

375kg

250kg

25kg

225kg

5717kg

50kg

5668kg

45kg

780kg

4484kg

385kg

4099kg

330

230

23

207

27,394

240

27,155

759

13,159

19,351

1661

17,689

VI. Biogas and manure from the system

1 Biogas

2 Animal and human manure

3 Biogas manure

• For gardens


• For farmlands

150m^3

2150kg

1400kg

150kg

1250kg

3135

38,195

24,878

2666

22,213