How growing fodder is helping some farmers in Maharashtra?

Farmers of Balawadi village in Maharashtra’s Sangli district are actively seeking to increase their money by experimenting in fodder cultivation, even as the Centre has introduced several techniques to double farmers’ money by 2022,

“The Countrywide Commission on Farmers has insisted that there is a require for a number of sources of money to increase farmers’ money. For previous a lot of yrs we have been operating on fodder farming product in drought-susceptible spots of Sangli district and the experiment is gaining momentum,” reported farmer activist Sampatrao Pawar.

This calendar year farmers in Balawadi have planted maize on 10 acres of land as a very first phase to produce a fodder lender. They will be cultivating fodder in over twenty five hectares to cater to the require of farmers in Khanapur taluka (block).

Pawar says that the previous experiments have yielded very good final results. Around the final five yrs, fodder cultivation has yielded very good returns for farmers. Farmers listed here say that cultivating fodder is less high priced in contrast to sugarcane and greens as it involves reduce sum of drinking water, pesticides and fertilisers. Sangli district in South Maharashtra is just one of the top districts in the dairy sector and high quality fodder is always in desire all through the calendar year.

In 2019, Balawadi villagers cultivated fodder and established fodder lender for needy farmers. Ashok Jadhav, a farmer, says that governing administration begins fodder camps for the duration of droughts in which farmers can consider their cattle but these camps have a damaging influence on the well being of cattle and milk creation. “The high quality of fodder provided at these camps is not up to the mark. Several fodder camps are run by community politicians who feed sugarcane to the cattle to generate income from the grant provided by the governing administration to run fodder camps. Farmers ought to consider treatment of their cattle by making fodder financial institutions,” he reported.

Sandesh Pawar of Ugam Foundation, which is operating with farmers, reported that the governing administration ought to resolve minimum amount guidance price tag for fodder and procure it. It can then deliver it to the cattle at the fodder camps. “Also, the governing administration ought to stimulate farmers to develop fodder by providing concessions and grants. Excess sugarcane cultivation has destroyed the fertility of the land in a lot of components of Maharashtra and we have proved that fodder could be a very good alternative to enhance the soil fertility and maximize the farmers’ money,” he reported.

The Countrywide Commission on Farmers, in its report, states that there is a require for greater study and advancement efforts in the spots of green fodder and feed creation. “Fodder and feed financial institutions can be proven to aid landless labour families, a huge proportion of whom are Dalits, to consider to stall-fed animal husbandry and backyard poultry farming. Industry tie-up will be essential to make sure fair return and stay away from risks. Micro-finance should be supported with appropriate backup companies, so that it will become Livelihood Finance,” the Commission said.

The Commission suggested location up of a Livestock Feed Corporation of India to deliver guidance to community level SHGs engaged in the creation of fodder and feed and in organising ‘Fodder and Feed Banks’ and strengthen utilized study in diverse agro-ecological areas so that livestock homeowners can put into practice suitable feeding regimes using domestically obtainable feedstuffs and roughages.