Livelihood improvement of small farmers through family poultry in Bangladesh
The present study was undertaken to examine livelihood improvement of small farmers through family poultry by income and employment generation. The data were collected from 60 family poultry farms families from two upazila of Mymensingh district through direct interview method. As analytical tools simple statistical measures, Cobb Douglas production function was used to observe the impact of explanatory variables on gross return while problem confrontation index (PCI) was calculated in order to ascertain the extent of severity of problems confronted by family poultry farmers. It was found that family poultry farming was chosen by 100% farmers as subsidiary occupation. Small farmers earned an income of Tk. 3705.95 per year as net return from family poultry farming and it generated on average 53.23 working man days per year as employment especially for women. As regards of livelihood improvement, family poultry farming changed food habit, increased knowledge and skill, savings, social status, recreational facility, improved food nutritional condition, family health and sanitation and enhanced women empowerment. Among the explanatory variables observed bird cost, feed cost, labor cost had positive and significant impact on gross return and impact of transportation & marketing cost was positive but insignificant. Outbreak of disease was found as the main setback in family poultry production.