In the State, livestock feed and fodder resources are limited due to competition between fodder production and food grain production. Currently, the total cultivable area under fodder is 7.74 lakh hectares and scope of enhancing the cultivable fodder coverage is limited. There is deficiency of 47% of green fodder, 17.25% of dry fodder and 82.79% of concentrate. Deficiency of dry fodder becomes more vulnerable once there is an controlled burning of agriculture residue in the field which at one end creates dry fodder shortage and on the other end creates sever pollution. The policy intervention shall be taken up for prohibiting burning of agriculture residue and program assistance for establishing compressed fodder block making units, assistance to farmers for creating dry fodder storage facilities shall also be taken up. Assistance to farmers for creating green fodder storage facilities like silage making in surplus time shall also incorporated in fodder development program.
Major constraintsforfodder production-
Fragmentation of land holding.
Utilization of Land for production of food grains/cash crops instead of fodder crops.
Seasonal rains and adverse climatic conditions.
Inadequate input Assistance for growing fodder.
Quantitative and Qualitative input deficiency in fodder seed production.
Lack of incentives to grow fodder as compared to growing of food crops/cash crops.
Inadequate extension support from state govt/development agencies.
Inadequate budgetary support for fodder development by state govt.
Lack of awareness for utilizing degraded lands/water lands for growing fodder grasses/fodder trees.
Lack of sufficient technical field staff.
Lack of adequate researches for fodder improvements.
Competition between food Grain and Fodder production.
Land Use Pattern:Better utilization of Land Use Pattern in the State, Feed and Fodder gaps can be minimized to some extant. According to Present Land Use Pattern the Area under different types of land can be used for fodder are as follows-
(a) Permanent Pasture and other Grazing land
(b) Area under Shrubs, Bushes, other trees and orchards
(c) Current Fallow and Other Fallow land
(d) Forest Land
(e) Culturable Waste Land
(f) Usar and Un-cultivated Land
65389.00 ha
325430.00 ha
1674004.00 ha
1658153.00 ha
410154.00 ha
464473.00 ha
For increasing area under cultivable fodder coverage, the target of extra coverage of 10000 hectares annually year to year by providing assistance to farmers for fodder production shall be taken up with the projected increase of 0.30 lakh hectares under cultivable fodder coverage upto 2024-25. Besides the use of land for fodder production, there is need another method/ technology to metout the gap by introducing silage/ bail silage.
The deficiency of concentrates is the critical area since concentrates for livestock use are grain residues and grain leftovers. The deficiency of concentrates is due to the high yield gap in grain production and which can be improved through better agriculture production initiatives.
Use of crop residues wastage: Efficient Use of Crop Residues like straws as the basal feed for ruminants. they act as bulk in the ration and provide major portion of energy requirements of animals. In the most parts of the State where farmers use combine harvester the wheat and paddy straws are being burnt in the field, which is not only a waste of feed resource but a source of environmental pollution and wastage of money. Promoting the techniques of Hay and Silage making as well as compressed Fodder block making from crop residues among farmers, can minimize the gap.
Supply of Certified Fodder Seed: Supply of Qualitative and sufficient quantity of fodder seed and other inputs shall increase the availability of feed and fodder. Assistance are needed to farmers for creating storage facilities for wheat straw and mobile fodder block making unit need to be popularized.
Effective Cropping Plan: Crop planning for efficient land use efficiency is the one important ways, therefore, lies in maximizing feed and fodder production in low space and time, through integration of forage crops with forest and fruits plants ie. silvi-pasture and horti- pasture by which not only feed and fodder for animals shall be available but also fulfill human food needs.
Promotion of silage as Green fodder:
a) The govt may promote silage production with maize along with cobs involving entrepreneurs and give buyback agreement to the quantity as per the requirement of the govt every year for its distribution at concessional rate.
b) Progressive farmers in needy village will be identified and encouraged every year by the entrepreneurs to use the silage as green fodder to increase livestock production.
c) The farmers identified will be trained in usage of silage.