Status of Backyard Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) Production System in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Turkey farming is comparatively a new enterprise in West Bengal. A survey of 55 turkey farmers selected from six blocks of South 24 Parganas, a coastal district of West Bengal was conducted during 2021-2022 to study the socio-economic conditions of turkey growers, to evaluate the perceptions of the farmers towards scientific turkey farming and to characterize turkey production system in this district. A pre-tested and semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the status of backyard turkey farming in the district. The outcome of the results revealed that the majority (71%) of the turkey growers were middle-aged with an educational background of secondary education. The results further showed that the farmers were mostly (54.5%) with limited land resources. Due to the scarcity of land, the farmers required an alternative livelihood for subsistence. A majority (72.7%) of the farmers had prior experience in turkey farming. The results showed that 81.8% of farmers had good extension contacts with various institutes. The perception scoring method revealed that 72.7% of farmers have a good perception of scientific turkey farming. It was further observed that a significant (P<0.05) association was present between perception score and extension contact. The turkey production system was studied in detail and it was found that the farmers had scientifically maintained the key factors including litter management, vaccination and biosecurity arrangements of the farm. Most (67.3%) of the farmers had developed marketing linkages with West Bengal Livestock Development Corporation (WBLD) for better profitability. The economic analysis of turkey farming indicated a benefit-cost ratio of 1.74. The study revealed that experienced and progressive farmers with a good perception of scientific farming are involved in this new enterprise. Overall, backyard turkey farming is a profitable enterprise and should be propagated among farmers of South 24 Parganas through various extension support systems.