Improved Fodder Production: A Boon for Profitable Dairy Farming
Madhu suman1 and Devesh Thakur2
1Department of Livestock Farm Complex; madhu.rana5@gmail.com
2 Department of Veterinary and AH Extension Education
CSKHPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, 176 062, India.
India is rich in various types of livestock, with 2.29% of land area of the world, and the country maintain nearly 10.7% of livestock population (Gosh et al., 2016). There is more pressure on natural resources of India than any other countries. The small and marginal farmers in India own over 80% livestock asset. Therefore, the equitable nature of livestock makes it promising asset to enhance the income of farmers. Improved livestock productivity and reducing the cost of production is required to make livestock farming more remunerative. Balanced animal nutrition is an important part of animal husbandry, in dairy animals, animal feed accounts for 65 to 70 percent of total expenditure in dairy farming. Green fodder and leguminous crop are very cheaper source of nutrients; protein, carbohydrates, fats minerals and very good source of β-carotene (precursor of vitamin A). They can bring down the cost of feeding and reduce the amount of costly feeds/ concentrates needed in animal feeding. Unfortunately, India has 11.24% deficit in green fodder availability stands at 734.2 mt against requirement of 827.19 mt (Roy et al., 2019). This deficiency of green fodder in quantity and quality is reasons of low productivity. Improved varieties, seeds, application of fertilizers, utilization of wasteland for fodder production, pasture protection, management, and training of farmers are required to increase fodder productivity.
Green fodder demand and supply scenario
Growing livestock numbers and evolving animal husbandry practices require a corresponding increase in fodder to meet livestock needs. Therefore, for economic and environmental sustainable dairy production, fodder production round the year is highly essential. But there is huge gap between demand and supply of green fodder (Table 1) has led the attention of scientists to develop the high yielding varieties of forages with high quality and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. As per the estimates of the National Action Plan on Fodder & Feed Security Programme, 2017, the deficit in the feed and fodder is increasing with every passing year, in 2025 the deficit of green fodder will be highest at 40 percent followed by concentrate 38 percent and dry fodder 23 percent.
In spite of importance of green fodder in dairy sector, there is still need of lot of attention regarding improved green fodder production, scientific management of fodder areas and further marketing aspect among the dairy farmers.
Different challenges for green fodder production
The area under fodder production in India for the last four decades is stagnating at 4% of the gross cropped area. Different forage crops are grown in different region so there is issue related to availability (surplus and deficit in different- different regions) non-commercial nature of crops, cultivable land mostly used for cash crops and fodder crops are grown in degraded and marginal lands with minimal inputs led to gap in fodder availability and requirement. Fodder shortage is mostly observed during lean period which is more conspicuous in the flood & drought situation. Preservation practices in the form of silage, bales, fodder blocks, etc., are totally absent among farmers mainly due to lack of awareness about preservation techniques. In India 50 percent of livestock in rural area for feeding dependents on grazing in forest areas and in pastures most of the pastures are monsoon based and provide fodder for few months.
Different strategies to improve fodder production
Green fodder production in any areas dependent upon the type of livestock, climate, cropping pattern and socioeconomic conditions of the farmers. Selecting better varieties, seeds, application of fertilizers, and adoption of agronomic practices can lead to a significant increase in productivity as explained further:
Adoption of improved fodder variety
Introduction of improved varieties of fodder crops and their combinations (Grasses and legumes) in pasture as well as in cultivated area going to enhance the production of fodder in term of quality and quantity significantly (Table 2).
- Adequate availability of quality fodder seeds
Seed is the crucial input and most essential component for enhancing the production and productivity of fodder crops. One of the reasons reported to stumble the green fodder production is non-availability of quality seed in sufficient quantities. As per an estimation only 25-30% of required quantity of quality seed is available in cultivated fodders and <10% in range grasses and legumes in India (Vijay et al., 2014). Fodder seed production is not remunerative in many of the fodder crops. 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 can be one of the way to increase fodder seeds further awareness among farmers about new varieties through live demonstrations/village awareness progragrames through KVKs need to be enhanced.
- Improvement of wastelands and other community lands
Grassland development in non forest waste land, range land, grass land, non-arable land, forest land besides, other marginal lands like roadside land, canal side land, land along the railway tracks, etc., may also be utilized for forage cultivation (Table 3). Introducing high yielding cultivated fodder crops, grasses and pasture legumes and an integrated approach of growing cultivated crops, grasses, trees and shrubs under silvi-pastural/ horti – silvipasture system will improve overall productivity of such land. Silvopastoral system ideal combination of grasses, legumes and trees for producing highly nutritious top fodder and forage, fuel wood, timber and optimising land productivity, conserving plants, soil and nutrients etc. (Yadav et al., 2019) similarly in hortipastoral fruit trees grown with the fodder crops. It has been observed that Guniea, Sehima and Anjan grass are popular non-legume pasture grass species and Stylosanthes, white and red clover are polular pasture legumes for cultivation under horticulture trees (Seshaiah, 2020).
- Conservation and value addition of Crop Residue/By-products
India, the second largest agro-based economy with year-round crop cultivation, generates a large amount of agricultural waste, including crop residues (Table 4) India generates on an average 500 Million tons (Mt here after) of crop residue per year, it is evident that the generation of crop residues is highest in the state of Uttar Pradesh (60 Mt) followed by the other states Punjab (51 Mt) and Maharashtra (46 Mt) with a grand total of 500 Mt per year out of which 92 Mt is burned (NPMCR, 2014). Different processing methods such as soaking, chopping, pelleting, stem treatment, feed block, enzyme and fungal treatment going to improve the digestibility of crop residue (Devi et al., 2017), but these technologies are not popularize at the farmer levels, these technologies need to be commercialized and different manufacturing unit need to be set up in different state for proper utilization of crop residues.
- Development of Fodder Banks
Fodder bank plants are fodder species of higher biomass usually, trees or shrubs, and often legumes such as Leuceana leucocephala, Sesbania grandiflora Gliricidia sepium, Acacia angustissima, guinea,grass,and NBH etc. can be grown on farm boundaries, border of home compound, pasture, bunds of field and water tanks. The relatively deep roots of these woody perennials allow them to reach soil nutrients and moisture not available to grasses and herbaceous plants. This characteristic enables these plants to retain fresh foliage into the dry season. They can be utilized all year, but are designed to bridge the forage scarcity of annual dry season. Many species make excellent fodder bank components. In general these species:
- Establish readily, grow fast, out-compete weeds, produce high-quality fodder.
- Remain productive under repeated harvest, dry seasons, survive on poor sites.
- Feed and Fodder Farmers-Entrepreneurship Development
Post-harvest management of crop residues, surplus grasses and fodder is important since proper management improves bioavailability of nutrients and keeping quality of finished product. Fodders and grasses can be preserved either as hay (dried fodder) or as silage (wet fodder), straw based pellets, densified complete feed block and fodder pellets are promising in commercial scale and useful to the economic upliftment of rural population.
Conclusion
Feed and fodder deficit is one of the foremost constrains in dairy production in India. Various fodder varieties has been developed, however the adoption of these varieties by farmers remains limited. Enrichment of crop residues, estabilishment fodder banks and improvement of pastures, grasslands require attention. All this is possible by encouraging startsups, fodder entrepreneurship and by strengthening fodder in initiatives by KVK’s, SAU’s, state agriculture and animal husbandry department.
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