Duck Farming in Kerala
Floating Together. Duck Farming is a popular means of livelihood among the villagers of Kerala. Alappuzha, Thrivarppu, Kumarakom, and other backwater destinations are the major duck farming regions. Watching large flocks of ducks floating through the pristine backwaters of Kerala is a sight to behold.
Duck Farming in Kerala
Flooded canals. Duck farming in Kerala is linked to flooding. The capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram receives over 1000mm of rain every year. This is enough to destroy the rice fields, so the local farmers seek refuge in the canals and their terraced fields. The ducks feed on the left-over grains, which nourish the soil and nurture the rice crop.
Duck Farming in Kerala
Rice Farming. There are a number of rice-farming terraces on the backwaters of the state. The rice terraces are usually made of compacted soil, so that floodwater does not reach the crops and the rice is protected. The soil that is sown in these rice terraces is rich in minerals, which help improve the yield and extend the harvest.
Why is duck farming popular in Kerala?
The backwaters of Kerala have been used to rear ducks from time immemorial. The birds tend to thrive in these waters as they find the soil to be quite rich and fertile.
The waters are filled with numerous freshwater springs, making the region around the backwaters very fertile. Ducks also have an affinity for the freshwater springs, which makes the coastal region ideal for duck farming.
Kerala is the southernmost state of India and is famous for its coastal regions. The state is well known for its fish, fruits, rice, and shrimp, but as it is popularly said, the state has to be known for its way with water. The backwaters of Kerala have been used to rear ducks from time immemorial.
Who are the people involved in duck farming?
The largest number of duck farmers come from the Malayali community which is located in and around the Malappuram district of Kerala. Along with the Malayali, a few Tamils and people from other Tamil Nadu and Travancore regions also engage in this business.
On the other hand, most of the ducks come from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with numbers increasing each year.
flocks of ducks floating on backwaters of Kerala
People associated with the business of ducks farming
Duck farming is also a very lucrative business for many farmers and birds that come from different parts of India. Due to the high demand for ducks, a significant number of ducks are imported from other states of India as well.
How can you get into this business?
If you have a family and a house in the village, you are good to go. It is a very good business because the entire revenue goes to the wife. Even if the wife works she may earn only one-tenth of the revenue.
A family of three or four people can easily earn Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 every month from duck farming.
Duck farming depends on the spring season of the weather and the water level. If the water level is too high then it would affect the breeding season and some ducks may not get enough water to swim and mate.
The number of ducks that you have is quite limited and there are not many duck farmers in Kerala so you have to be lucky in terms of water level. Another important factor is the quality of eggs. You should try to get good-quality eggs from native ducks.
Conclusion
Since duck farming was carried out in close association with nature itself, ducks can survive any natural calamities like floods and droughts.
This is of paramount importance in the duck farming industry as the waterways are highly vulnerable to natural calamities. However, the communities living in these backwater regions are exceedingly protective of duck farming.
There have been various studies conducted to get a better understanding of the health and economic benefits of duck farming in the country.
The economic benefit as such is a tremendous one. While these benefits can be not be ignored, the farmers in these backwater regions are willing to sacrifice a few to earn the maximum.