Economic benefit of pentad-ecological homestead patterns－A case study of“fruit-livestock-biogas pit-water cellar-grass” pattern in Luochuan County, Shaanxi Province

This paper analyzes the economic benefits of pentad-ecological homestead pattern of “fruit-livestock-biogas pit-water cellar-grass” in Luochuan Country, Shaanxi Province for farmer households. The results show that household average annual investment on 0.33 hm² apple orchard of “fruit-livestock-biogas pit-water cellar-grass” pattern is 11 600 yuan, 600 yuan less than household without the pattern. Annual net income of households with the pattern is 7 571 yuan,2 445 yuan higher than households without the pattern, with an output-input ratio of 1.66, 16.2% higher than no-pattern houshold. Current net financial value of farmer households with the pattern is high as 48 600 yuan, with a return rate of 73.2% and dynamic investment recovering period of 1.67 years. Net annual average value of farmer households with the pattern is 5 927 yuan, superior to households without the pattern, which stands at 1 891 yuan. The pentad-ecological homestead pattern is economically beneficial and financially feasible.