Fodder deficit in India; govt running schemes to increase production: Parshottam Rupala

There is a deficit of fodder in the country and the government is taking steps to boost its production, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

"The country is a deficit in fodder. The ICAR- Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute (IGFRI), Jhansi has estimated that there is deficit of 11.24%, 23.4 % and 28.9% in green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates respectively, in the country," Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala said in a written reply.

A meeting to review the fodder situation in the country was held on November 6, under the chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with the state governments/ stakeholders.

The states informed that there was no crisis as such but a hike in price was reported for fodder, he added.

The various reasons for fodder shortage in the country include changing land use patterns, urbanisation, declining productivity of pastures, diversion of land towards commercial crops, diversion of crop residues to other industrial uses, non-availability of quality fodder seed and increasing demand for fodder due to improved productivity of animals.

"Union Government is implementing National Livestock Mission with a Sub Mission on Feed and Fodder Development in the country wherein financial assistance is provided for seed production of high yielding fodder varieties promoting fodder crop as a cash crop and thereby diversifying more area under the fodder crops," the minister highlighted.

In addition, the central government is implementing the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund scheme since 2020-21 for incentivising investments for establishment of animal feed manufacturing units, including Animal Feed Testing Laboratories, so as to ensure production of quality feed.

The fodder resource plans prepared for 20 states by the Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi have also been shared with the states for implementation.

On November 4, 2022, the Department of Agriculture approved the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as an implementing agency under the scheme of Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to form and promote 100 FPOs, primarily fodder centric with animal husbandry activities as secondary activity (Fodder-Plus model).

NDDB has been designated to form these FPOs during 2022-23 within the contours of the scheme.