Solutions to Rising Fodder Prices – Alternative Fodder Production Techniques

One of the biggest challenges in the livestock sector today is the rising cost of animal fodder. Unless farmers have access to affordable and nutritious fodder, both milk production and animal health are adversely affected. In the current economic scenario, it is essential for every farmer to understand how they can produce fodder on their own farm, at home, or in gaushalas, and how alternative techniques can help reduce costs.

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🐄 1. Why Is the Fodder Problem Becoming More Serious?

In India, nearly 60% of farmers are small or marginal farmers. Their land holdings are limited, and most of the available land is used for growing food grains or vegetables. As a result, adequate green fodder for livestock is often not cultivated. Additionally, dry spells, uncertain rainfall, and labor shortages further worsen the situation.

• The cost of animal fodder accounts for approximately 65–70% of the total cost of milk production.
• On average, there is an annual shortage of about 35% green fodder and 11% dry fodder.
• With population growth and shrinking agricultural land, the fodder crisis is intensifying.

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🌱 2. Green Fodder – An Affordable and Nutritious Option

Green fodder is the best feed for all types of livestock. It is rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Even with limited land, farmers can ensure year-round green fodder production through proper planning.

Example: How to Get Year-Round Green Fodder from One Acre of Land

• Summer season: Maize, Pearl millet, Napier grass, Guinea grass
• Monsoon season: Berseem, Lablab (Lobia), Sorghum
• Winter season: Oats, Alfalfa, Berseem

If farmers cultivate varieties such as multi-cut Napier or CO-4, CO-5, the crop regenerates after each harvest and can provide 6–8 cuttings in a year.

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🌾 3. Dry Fodder and Its Utilization

The importance of dry fodder becomes evident when green fodder is scarce. After crop harvest, the remaining crop residues in the field (bhusa, straw, stubble) can be effectively used as dry fodder.

Affordable and Useful Sources of Dry Fodder:

• Wheat straw
• Leaves of chickpea and mung bean (residues after pod harvest)
• Dried stalks of maize and sorghum
• Rice straw (usable after treatment)

Rice straw contains a high amount of silica, making it difficult to digest. It can be improved through urea treatment by storing it in an airtight tank for 15 days.

Procedure: Spray a 5% urea solution on the straw, cover it with plastic sheets, and keep it sealed for 15 days. This process makes the straw softer, more nutritious, and more palatable.

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🌿 4. Silage – A Revolutionary Technique for Every Farmer

Silage is a technique used to preserve green fodder for long periods. In this process, fodder is stored in an oxygen-free environment to allow controlled fermentation, which prevents spoilage and preserves nutritional value for months.

Major Benefits of Silage:

• Fodder remains usable for 6–12 months.
• Ensures availability during droughts or rainy seasons.
• Highly palatable to animals and helps increase milk production.

Steps to Prepare Silage:

1. Chop green fodder (maize/sorghum/Napier) into 1–2 inch pieces.
2. Add 1% jaggery or molasses to the fodder.
3. Compact it tightly in a pit or drum to remove air.
4. Seal properly with a plastic sheet.
5. Use the prepared silage after 30–40 days.

Nowadays, farmers are also producing and selling “silage bags” in small packs of 10–20 kg.

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💧 5. Hydroponic Fodder Production – A Modern, Space-Saving Technique

Hydroponic fodder production is a method that does not require soil. Seeds are germinated in trays using water and nutrient solutions, producing green fodder within 6–8 days.

Key Advantages:

• 50–60 kg of green fodder can be produced daily in a 10×10 ft room.
• Saves up to 90% water.
• Unaffected by drought or excessive rainfall.
• Nutritional value is about 1.5 times higher.

Required Materials: Trays, maize/barley seeds, spray bottle, shade net or container, timer-based fog or misting system.

This technology has proven to be a boon for dairy farms, gaushalas, and farmers with limited land.

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🍃 6. Alternative Fodder Crops

Sometimes traditional fodder crops (such as berseem or Napier) do not perform well in all regions. In such cases, other region-specific plants can be adopted.

• Moringa (Drumstick) leaves: High protein content (25–30%), fast-growing, drought-tolerant.
• Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala): Tree-based fodder, suitable for repeated cutting.
• Gliricidia: Useful for hedge farming and also improves soil fertility.
• Cassava (Tapioca): Leaves are nutritious for livestock.
• Ajwain/Fenugreek/Berseem mix: Fodder mixtures enhance protein content.

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🚜 7. Integrated Fodder Production Model

In many states, farmers are now adopting integrated fodder farming, where one part of the land is used for green fodder, another for dry fodder, and a third for tree-based fodder.

Sample Model (1 Acre):

• 0.5 acre – Napier or Sorghum (green fodder)
• 0.3 acre – Berseem / Oats (winter green fodder)
• 0.1 acre – Moringa / Subabul (tree fodder)
• 0.1 acre – Storage of rice straw for dry fodder

This model ensures year-round balanced fodder availability and reduces dependence on the market.

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🧪 8. Simple Bio-Techniques to Enrich Fodder

• Use organic manure instead of chemical fertilizers: Cow dung, cow urine, neem cake, and vermicompost.
• Seed treatment: Treating seeds with Rhizobium culture enhances nitrogen fixation in roots.
• Mulching: Applying organic mulch helps retain soil moisture.
• Drip irrigation: Saves water and ensures uniform nutrient supply.

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📉 9. Practical Measures to Reduce Costs

• Give priority to local seeds and indigenous breeds.
• Maintain livestock numbers according to land and fodder availability.
• Adopt rotational grazing practices.
• Intercrop fodder crops with legumes to improve soil nitrogen.
• Utilize straw or stubble as fodder instead of burning it.

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🌍 10. Government Schemes and Training

The Government of India and state animal husbandry departments offer several schemes to promote fodder production.

• RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana): Subsidies for fodder seeds and silage units.
• NABARD Fodder Projects: Loans for self-help groups to set up fodder processing units.
• NDDB Training Programs: Training on dairy farming and silage preparation.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs): Demonstration fodder plots for local farmers.

Every farmer should contact their nearest KVK or animal husbandry department to avail these schemes.

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🌾 11. The Future Path – “Fodder Self-Reliance Mission”

In the future, every village should aim to become a “fodder self-reliant village”. For this, community grazing lands can be developed at the panchayat level.

• Production of Napier, Subabul, and Berseem on panchayat land.
• Installation of silage tanks and hydroponic units in gaushalas.
• Engaging youth in fodder production as a livelihood option.

This will not only generate employment but also bring stability to milk production.

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🔚 Conclusion

Livestock farming can be truly profitable only when farmers become self-reliant in fodder production. Alternative technologies such as silage, hydroponics, and Moringa/Subabul-based models are not only cost-effective but also environmentally friendly.

Every farmer must understand that “when fodder is affordable, milk production becomes sustainable.” Start small and gradually move toward complete fodder self-reliance.

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✍️ Author: Dr. Mukesh Swami (Veterinarian, Social Worker & Founder – Pashupalan.co.in)