Juginda Alor Pratiksha SHG Sangha:
Sustainable rural poultry farming, Domkal block, Murshidabad district
Organic poultry farming for sustainable livelihoods of Self Help groups
Case study on sustainable rural poultry farming
Juginda Alor Pratiksha SHG Sangha was formed on 16-02-2010 under Domkal block of Murshidabad district. Alike any other minority-dominated agrarian village, the members of this Sangha were also mere housewives. After joining SHGs, the situation was gradually changing and even the typical housewives having little control over their life and livelihoods have started dreaming of a better life. Now they are united and this unity, of course, is a major strength for them. Besides, credit facility is also available without much hassle under the Anandadhara Project as Domkol has been acknowledged as a Model Partnership Block. Facilitators of a NGO named SPADE are there to encourage and assist them in planning for a business. Still, problems are many. Which business to take up? What are the requirements? Who shall provide the necessary guidance in case of need?
A member of the Self Help Group with her farm animals.
While the Sangha members were rather confused regarding the selection of a business, during a discussion on Experiences of Income Generating Activities with the Project Director, DRDC, Murshidabad, the issue was suddenly resolved. Mr. Pradip Kumar Biswas, the then Project Director of DRDC Murshidabad, had introduced the concept of an Organic Poultry farming for the Juginda Alor Pratiksha Sangha members, from which the members could enhance their income on a sustainable manner. As soon as the members understood the details, they took the initiative to grab the opportunity. They immediately developed the project site to initiate the Organic Poultry Farm with the financial and technical support from DRDC and assistance from the Sangha.
Project Details
| Project Name | Organic Poultry Farming |
| Infrastructure | 3-Rooms for Incubator and Inverters (64 sqmt.) Brooder (77 sqmt.), Mother-bed (410 sqft.) |
| Equipments | Incubator, Inverters, Gas light -2, Stabilizer |
| Power | Electricity |
| Raw Materials | Eggs (800 for every circle) |
| Work Place | Premises of the Sangha Office and the surrounding areas |
| Workers | Experienced SHG members having knowledge of organic poultry farming selected through the Upa Sangha. 17-workers are needed for completing one circle. |
| Skill Training | 10-members have been trained for 3-days on Poultry Rearing from Sargachi Ramkrishna Mission |
| Business Skill | Business Skill and Handholding support provided by SPADE |
| Capital Source | DRDC Murshidabad |
| Egg Procurement Centre | For fast round Animal Resources Development Department Domkol, and for second round CADC Berhampore |
| Cost per Egg | Rs.8/- |
| Chick Sales Centre | All chicken and chicks ware sold to CADC |
| Sale Price | Rs.40/- each |
| Mode of Payment | Payment received by cheque |
Rearing Process
For successful implementation of the project, 2 members from every Upasangha were selected and the responsibilities were distributed. The criteria used for selection of the members were:
(a) Experience of working in backyard poultry and hatching eggs
(b) Undergone 3-days training on Poultry Rearing from Sargachi Ramkrishna Mission
The reason behind selecting members for this project from every Upasangha is to spread and propagate the benefits of this project in the entire community. The different phases of the project are discussed below:
| Rearing method and stages | Sources of raw materials | Number of workers’ | Time period |
| Purchase eggs and clean them in Potash water (for every cycle 800 eggs) | CADC Berhampore | 2 | After every cycle |
| Laying eggs in the Incubator | ——– | 2 | After 21-days, chicks will come out |
| Day to day supervision of the Incubator | ——- | For every shift 2 workers | Morning 8.00 a.m to afternoon 1.00 p.m, afternoon 1.00.p.m to 8.00 p.m. and night 8.00 p.m. to morning 8.00 a.m. |
| From incubator to setter placement | ——- | 3 | 18-days |
| Setter to Hatcher | ——- | 3 | 3-days |
| Hatcher to brooder | ——- | 3 | 7-days |
| Brooder to mother bead | ——- | 3 | So long the chicks are sold |
| Feeding chicks | ——- | On rotation | For counter clockwise average 28- days |
| Vaccine Delivery within 1 to 7 days- F-1 (one nose 1 drop) within 20 to 25 days – F-1 (one nose 1 drop) | ——- | Prani Mitraa | 28-days |
| Sale of Chicks (counter clockwise average 70 chicks ) | CADC Berhampore | 3 | From the egg laying average 28- days |
| Incubator | Hatcher |
Income and Expenditure Analysis
| Information and materials | Recurring Cost(Rs) | Fixed Cost(Rs) | ||||
| Quantity | Rate | Amount | Quantity | Rate | Amount | |
| Egg | 800 | 8/- | 6400 | – | – | – |
| Egg purchase cost | – | – | 160 | – | – | – |
| Electricity cost in unit | 291 | 5/- | 1455 | – | – | – |
| Food packet Suji (1 to 3 days) | 30 | 8/- | 240 | – | – | – |
| Meal mesh (bag)
(4 to 8 days) |
2 | 1400/- | 2800 | – | — | — |
| Vaccine and vitamins | – | – | 1000 | — | – | – |
| Incubator (By DRDC) | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| Inverter (By DRDC) | – | – | – | 1 | – | – |
| Food pot | – | – | – | 6 | 100/- | 600 |
| Water pot | – | – | – | 6 | 100/- | 600 |
| Cost of sales | – | – | 1000 | – | – | – |
| Total | 13,055 | 1,200 | ||||
| Total Expenditure Rs.14255/- | ||||||
Analysis of the expenditure of each cycle:
From 800 eggs, on an average about 720 chicks (around 90%) will fetch an average price of Rs. 40/- each. So,
| Total income 720 × 40/- = 28800/-
Less current cost = 13055/- Profit = 15825/- |
Sharing of Profit
The profit earned in every cycle is kept in the Sangha’s Account. Later on, a certain percentage of the profit is retained in the Sangha’s account and the rest is distributed among the worker as wages following a resolution in the Sangha’s meeting. As a result, the members of the SHGs feel encouraged to supervise the groups.
Because of the success of this project and also, to encourage the Sangha members, the DRDC again has provided 3 Poultry Mesh Production Machines, viz., Pulveriser, Mixture Machine and Plate. In future, the Sangha will produce the Poultry Mesh which will reduce the cost of this project and enhance the profit margin. This will enable the Sangha to include more SHG members in this project. Thus, this eco-friendly and sustainable initiative had made the SHG members happy and now the members are seriously thinking about up-scaling the project – thinking something better and greater.