Measures to increase fodder availability

Availability of adequate quantity of feed and fodder for livestock is essential for improving the livestock productivity. There exists a substantial gap between the demand and availability of fodder in the country, particularly during the lean periods and at the time of natural calamities including droughts/floods.

Following measures may be taken for ensuring maximum availability of fodder for sustaining livestock production.

Optimum utilization of land resources

The number of livestock is growing rapidly, but the grazing lands are gradually diminishing due to pressure on land for agricultural and non-agricultural uses.  The area under fodder cultivation is limited to about 4% of the cropping area, and it has remained static for the last four decades. Owing to the importance of food crops and other cash crops, it is very unlikely that the area under fodder cultivation would increase substantially.

Therefore, the need of the time is to adopt the practice of land use with multiple crops in a sustainable manner. Adopting Silvi-pastoral and Horti-pastoral models suitable to the area can help in substantially enhancing the availability of forage for the livestock. About 29 million ha area in the country falls under the category of open forests with less than 0.4 canopy density which can be developed with fodder trees. This huge land resource can be utilized for growing fodder, not only as an under-storey on the partially shaded ground without affecting standing trees. Similar development is also possible in the area under horticulture orchards. While the forest department can undertake silvi-pastoral plantations through the Joint Forest Management Committees, the horti-pastoral activities can be initiated by incentivizing the farmers who are owners of the orchards.

Emphasis should also be laid on the non-cropped areas in the agricultural land which are not cultivated viz. bunds, pond embankments, slopes of nala course, basins of plantation and horticultural crops, hedges with fodder crops etc.

Improving production by using high yielding fodder varieties

Use of quality fodder seeds including dual purpose grains like bajra, maize and jowar, etc., is essential for improving productivity. Some of the cultivated fodder species for different regions are indicated below (list is illustrative):

List of Forage Grasses, Legumes, Shrubs And Trees For Grassland / Grazing Land Improvement on Agro-Ecological Basis

Enhanced fodder seed production

Inadequate availability of quality fodder seeds is a major constraint. Fodder seed production is not remunerative in many of the fodder crops. State Governments may take initiatives to encourage farmers for taking up the production of high yielding varieties by providing sufficient incentives to farmers for production of fodder seeds of high yielding varieties by way of assured procurement with a remunerative price and assistance of inputs. State Governments can avail the benefit of the component of 'Fodder Seed Production, Procurement and Distribution' under the National Livestock Mission (NLM). Provisions under NFSM can also be utilized for this purpose.

Following high yielding fodder varieties may be considered for seed production programme for improving fodder yield per hectare in respect of existing area under fodder:

Forage crops and their varieties suitable for waterlogged soil

Emphasis be also laid on availability of seeds of short duration and dual purpose crops, which can be used in emergency of drought/floods, for getting fodder in short period. States may ensure availability of such dual purpose quality seeds in consultation with respective Agricultural Universities.

Adopting suitable crop combinations

Productivity potential of most lands can be best utilised through not only crop rotation, but also adopting suitable crop combinations. An indicative list of possible production under different combinations of fodder crops is in Below table which shows higher productivity for different crops.

Stratified fodder-production potential of the best fodder crop combinations

Based on All-India Coordinated Project for Research on Forage Crops of ICAR

Cultivation of Azolla may be taken up on large scale as it is highly nutritious, rich in protein and ready within a week’s period and available every day thereafter.

Improvement of grasslands/wastelands and other community lands

The grassland development can be taken up in nonforest waste land, range land, grass land, non-arable land and forest land under NLM with 60% Central grant. Besides, other marginal lands like roadside land, canal side land, land along the railway tracks, etc., may also be utilized for forage cultivation. The forest department can also undertake silvi-pastoral plantations in degraded forest areas through the Joint Forest Management Committees for use of the communities as explained earlier. Wasteland like waterlogged areas, saline soils, sodic soils, etc., can also be utilized for cultivation of fodder varieties suitable for such areas.

Conservation and utilization of crop residues/bye-products

• Diversion of crop residues for industrial use, etc., may be restricted / banned.
• The States may prevent burning of agricultural residues in the fields, wastage or diversion of dry fodder
• The State Governments should make it a priority programme to install chaff cutters and construction of manger in each and every household keeping cattle, in order to economize the use of available fodder. This measure can result in saving of upto about ~30% fodder.
• Though, in general, there is scarcity of green fodder in the country, but still in most places surplus green fodder is available during the monsoon. A major part of this surplus green fodder goes waste or is improperly stored, reducing its nutritional value. The farmers may be trained in the techniques like making silage, and be provided assistance under the Central or State schemes to facilitate silage making at household level.
• The availability of dry fodder can be enhanced by installation of low capacity Fodder block making units at each Primary Milk Cooperative / Panchayat level. Tractor mounted fodder block making units are now available, which can be operated in the fields to store surplus fodder / dry fodder. Agricultural residues can be densified with or without mixing it with easily available material like urea, molasses, butter milk, etc., for easy storage and use during the lean period.
• State Governments may promote use of crop residues and agricultural wastes/bye products as animal feed by enriching it through available technologies like treatment of straw with urea and molasses along with silage. Green topping of sugarcane and other crops should be saved for use as fodder.

Development of Fodder Banks

The Milk Cooperatives and Panchayat may be assisted for keeping surplus fodder for use during crisis periods. Gaushalas may be encouraged and trained to popularize high-yielding fodder and forage crops and supported for creating fodder banks through silage or fodder blocks and enrichment of crop residues, etc. States with surplus dry fodder may indicate the quantity and type of fodder available with them, so that necessary arrangements for supply to scarcity area can be made.

Schemes that support fodder production

1. National Livestock Mission
2. National Food Security Mission
3. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Source: Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying

Related resources

1. Contact details of Regional Fodder Stations in the country