ENHANCING INCOME OF SMALL FARMERS THROUGH SMALL INTEGRATED FARMING UNITS (SIFU) BY IMPLEMENTING MULTI-LAYERED CROPPING: A BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The Indian agriculture sector constitutes a high percentage of small-scale and minority farmers who continue to receive low and unsustainable incomes due to land fragmentation, monocropping, and lack of access to the market. The paper will discuss the opportunities of Small Integrated Farming Unit (SIFU) and multi-layered cropping as a profitable and sustainable agribusiness. The business management approach was adopted in the study so as to quantify cost-effectiveness, income, resource diversification, and optimality. The research employs both primary and secondary data, including case studies by ICAR and NABARD, and financial tools, including a costbenefit analysis, break-even analysis, and calculation of the return on investment (ROI). The findings demonstrate that SIFU influences the growth of income (2-3 times), the growth of land productivity, and the reduction of risk because of diversification. It is also suggested in the study that the importance of value chain integration and entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture. The results evoke the conclusion that SIFU can be scaled and replicated as a model to enhance the lives of rural populations and achieve sustainable agricultural development.