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A farmer in Jhalmala village of Raigarh has started quail rearing at low cost by using Azolla grass, which produces salable quails in 35 days. Due to low expenses and good prices, this model is becoming a new source of profit for farmers.
RaigarhFarmers in the district are now adopting poultry farming as an alternative livelihood along with traditional farming, In this sequence, a progressive farmer of Jhalmala area has set an example, who is not only increasing his income by rearing quail for the last few years, but is also inspiring the nearby farmers in this direction, This low cost, less space and quick to be completed project has become a new way for rural youth to earn better profits with less investment,
Farmer Krishna Yadav told in discussion with Local 18 that quail is a very fast growing bird, which becomes salable in just 35 days. Instead of traditional grains, he mainly feeds them Azolla grass. Apart from being rich in nutritious elements, Azolla is also very cheap, due to which the fodder expenditure is reduced to almost half. He got this Azolla during his training from Krishi Vigyan Kendra, after which he started cultivating it regularly in a part of his farm. Today Azolla has become a sustainable and economical fodder for their quail farms, due to which the production cost has reduced significantly.
Demand increases in winter
He told that quail not only grows quickly, but also starts laying eggs in 45 days. Both quail meat and eggs have special demand in the market in terms of nutrition. Talking about the price, at present a quail is sold for Rs 50 in the wholesale market, whereas in Chilhar its price reaches Rs 70 to Rs 80 per piece. Using Azolla based fodder, it costs the farmer only Rs 25 to raise one quail, resulting in almost double the profit per quail.
Better income at less cost
The farmer says that initially he started this farming only as an experiment, but now it has become a strong source of income for him. Seeing his success, many other farmers of the village are also showing interest in quail rearing. This model proves that by adopting modern technology, right guidance and innovation, farmers can earn better income even at low cost.
