Role of green fodder in livestock development in India

S.K. Mondal
Senior Scientist Zonal Project Directorate, Zone-II Indian Council of Agricultural Research Salt Lake, Kolkata 700 097

Contents
Introduction Importance of green fodder Present scenario of fodder production Present livestock production scenario Future demand of green fodder How to achieve the target Conclusion

Introduction
Feeding accounts for about 60-75% of total production cost. Feeds principally constitute concentrate mixture, green fodder, dry forages etc. Concentrate mixture includes mostly agricultural products/ biproducts (mainly unsuitable for human consumption). Fodder improves livestock productivity. Employment generation through green fodder Feasible entrepreneurial opportunities

Importance of green fodder

Livestock milk meat eggs, fibre, fabrics and fertilizers etc. Livestock products Energy, protein, fat and essential amino acids; even crude fibre. To produce, livestock need food (feed). Concentrate mixture is far from their mouth. Seasonal availability of low quality green fodder. Sole dependence of dry fodder. Green fodder improves livestock production; generates employment and income; gives entrepreneurship option. Livestockfodder: A cycle of recycling

Present fodder production scenario

Scarcity of feed & fodder for livestock In India, mere 2.5% of the world land mass Nearly 16.65% of world human population 20% of the world livestock population Needs about 1390 mill. T herbage annually Acute shortage - 35% for concentrate feed, 28% for green fodder; 11% for dry forages Gap between demand and availability is expected to increase further Accentuates the desperate situation of feed and fodder scarcity in time to come

Present fodder production scenario

In WEST BENGAL: Only 1.18% of cultivable lands (India - 4.6%) Pasture and grazing land (0.77% of total land) Shortage in availability of quality fodder seeds Lack of awareness in cattle owner/farmers Available fodder - only 46.7% of livestock Yearly requirement of green fodder ~ 7665 MT 429.23 acres Para grass, hybrid Napier, other Modified Centrally Sponsored FFD Scheme (2010) Central Minikit Testing Prog. on Fodder Crops

Present livestock sector scenario

Indian livestock sector nearly 26% of total agricultural GDP Growth in livestock - 1.5 times higher than in crop sector Huge population of different species of livestock - 199 mill. cattle (16%), 105 mill. buffaloes (55%), 72 mill. sheep (5%), 141 mill. goats (20%), 11 mill. pigs (1.5%) Desired growth of agriculture sector @ 4% by enhancing productivity from livestock A steady supply of fodder for supporting the livestock population

Present livestock scenario

Milk is the main output of livestock sector accounting for 66.7% of the total value of output of livestock. (121.3 mill. T) Meat (4.8 mill. T) and egg share 17.5% and 3.6% of the value of livestock output. Share of wool and hairs is negligible (0.2%).

Share of dung, which is used as domestic fuel and farm yard manure, in the total value of livestock sector output, is about 9%.

Future thrust on green fodder

Availability of adequate quantity of quality fodder - Key inputs in growth of livestock sec. Sustaining higher productivity of animals through availability of quality feed and fodder

Expansion of area under cultivated green fodder crops - demand driven and based on benefit-cost factor (as demonstrated in Punjab) Future focus for enhancing green fodder production and its conservation has to be areabased approach (on created demand)

How to achieve the target ?

Adopting a multi-pronged strategy for adequate fodder availability by: Improving productivity in areas already under fodder cultivation - quality seeds, dual purpose varieties/ hybrids, crops with higher residue yield (pearl millet, sorghum, maize and oat, grazing and pasture lands Promoting production of fodder crops fallow and unutilized lands, perennial fodder crops on field bunds and boundaries, peri-urban areas, nontraditional fodder (unutilized and under-utilized) Post-harvest technologies for preservation of fodder etc.

 Accelerating production of fodder through promotion of integrated technologies and processes for enhancing the availability of fodder throughout the year National Dairy Plan (NDP): fodder production activity through demonstration at farmers field; capacity building and awareness to the farmers Area expansion program for enhanced green fodder production through cluster approach Supporting/Strengthening State Agricultural Universities for production of breeder and foundation seeds of selected promising varieties/hybrids of fodder with participation of farmers Adoption of appropriate technologies for Post Harvest Management: Technologies like fodder block making units, chaff cutter for fodder processing and silage making would be promoted in the selected/targeted clusters Organizing fodder production programme based on cluster approach in the selected/targeted clusters preferably in dairy catchment areas of the potential States by promoting appropriate and region-specific fodder varieties

How to achieve the target ?

How to.
In W.B.
Promotion of the concept of mixed fodder cultivation (Lucern, Berseem, Napier grass etc.) Introduction of technologies in Fodder Development including fodder dev. under Social Forestry Scheme, By-Pass Fodder Development, Preservation of fodders, Social Pasture, Land Development programme etc Contingency planning to mitigate the shortage of fodder caused by the natural calamities like droughts and floods Need to develop fodder banks in vulnerable areas and strategies for improving the efficiencies of fodder supplies from one region to the other region of the country. The department has two schemes viz.1) Central Fodder Development Organization and 2) Centrally Sponsored Scheme

List of Fodder Farms in W.B.

(i) Haringhata Farm (Main & North), Nadia, (ii) Kalyani Farm, Nadia, (iii) Fulia Fodder Farm, Nadia, (iv) Salboni Fodder Farm -1 & 2, Paschim Medinipur, (v) Beldanga Fodder Farm, Murshidabad, (vi) Kotalpur Fodder Farm, Bankura, (vii) Ranjitpur Farm, Bankura, (viii) Lokepur Farm, Bankura, (ix) Baligori Fodder Farm, Hooghly, (x) Katwa Fodder Farm, Burdwan, (xi) Rasulpur, Fodder Farm, Burdwan, (xii) Jhatiakhali Farm, Jalpaiguri, (xiii) Pedong Fodder Farm, Darjeeling, (xiv) Dungra Fodder Farm, Darjeeling.

Production of sufficient quan tity of quality fodder seeds involving Farms at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur and Jhatiakali in Jalpaiguri and development of green fodder throughout the year at Haringhata Farm in Nadia. Seed production of fodder crops like Maize, Cowpea, Jowar, Oat, etc. have been started at the above Farms. Besides these, different fodder development schemes under State Plan are being implemented. These schemes include distribution of fodder seed/ mini-kit, establishment of FD plot in district level and also establishment of FD plot in G P Level and enrichment of straw/ cellulosic waste

Conclusion
Feeds and fodder is an important input for livestock production.

India is deficient in fodder production and availability.

Vast livestock undernourished. population is mainly

Fodder cultivation through technological intervention is the need of the hour in order to improve the livelihood security of Indian mass through its direct or indirect benefits.