Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/53672

The present paper attempts to examine the long-run impacts of rice-prawn gher (RPG) farming system on household income, soil fertility status, environment and ecology considering the issue of sustainable integrated agricultural farming. Two sets of primary data, namely socio-economic data of RPG farming and soil fertility data of the own plots of selected RPG farmers were used in this study. Twenty RPG farmers who belong to 30 gher plots in 2006 were randomly selected from Bilpabla village of Khulna district. Socio-economic data of prawn and modern variety (MV) rice production were collected through comprehensive questionnaire in 2006. At the same time soil samples were collected from these mentioned 30 plots at the beginning and at the end of MV paddy production and were tested in SRDS laboratory in Dhaka. The same gher plots have been surveyed again in 2012. The study found that the RPG farming has increased agricultural income approximately by 1.76 times and household income by 1.22 times over the study period. However, the nutrient components of soil have remained the same. The RPG farmers use very small amount of chemical fertilizer for MV paddy production, however, per hectare yield is also same in 2006 and 2012, but significantly higher than year-round MV (YRMV) paddy production in other villages in Khulna district. The RPG farming has positive impact on environment; even though, it has meager negative impacts on ecology. Therefore, it may be concluded that the RPG farming is technically feasible, economically viable, socially acceptable and environment-friendly.