Green fodder scenario depressing in the country:study

Ludhiana, May 1 (UNI) The average milk yield in India continues to be low and one of the main causes for this is the non-avaliablity of sufficient green fodder for the milch cattle.

A recent study conducted by scientists of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has revealed that dairy animals even in prosperous states like Haryana and Punjab are under fed. As against the daily requirement of 40 kgs green fodder per animal per day the availability in Punjab is only 21 kgs and the national figure is a depressing three kgs per animal per day.

While the state government is concerened about crop diversification and has been urging farmers to switch to oilseeds, horticulture and other crops from wheat and paddy, no attention is being paid to increasing the acreage under green fodder.

The scientists have pointed out that this year the government has succeeded in diverting about 55,000 acres of land from wheat to other crops, but no effort has been made to bring more area under green fodder.

The widening gap in green fodder cultivation every year needs to be checked, PAU scientists have pointed out while calling for launching a education campaign amongst the farmers to sow more green fodder. Dairy farming can only have the necessary inputs if the cattle are properly fed, the study said.

The total area under fodder in Punjab is estimated at 8.7 lakh hectare which is only 8.5 per cent of the total cultivated area and yields a production of 570 lakh tonnes. This quantity of fodder is inadequate for the domestic animal population of 86 lakh in the state.

The per capita avaliablity of milk in Punjab is 900 grams per day which is the highest in the country. This could be doubled if the milch cattle are properly fed.

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