{"id":57777,"date":"2025-10-28T21:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T15:42:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=57777"},"modified":"2025-10-29T11:40:31","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T06:10:31","slug":"india-needs-a-green-fodder-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-10-2025\/india-needs-a-green-fodder-revolution","title":{"rendered":"India Needs a Green Fodder Revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India, the world\u2019s largest milk producer, is facing a severe <strong>shortage of fodder and livestock feed<\/strong>, and risks undermining decades of progress in rural development and nutrition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is accounting for <strong>approximately 23\u201324% of global milk output<\/strong>, and over 70 million farmers are directly involved in dairying.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It contributes to <strong>one-third of rural household income,<\/strong> especially for small and marginal farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Livestock contributes <strong>over 5% to India\u2019s Gross Value Added (GVA)<\/strong> and <strong>more than 30% of the agriculture and allied sector\u2019s GVA<\/strong>, supporting <strong>80 million rural households<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges Facing Dairy Sector in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Fodder Crisis:<\/strong> According to government estimates, India faces <strong>a deficit of 11\u201332% in green fodder<\/strong>,<strong> 23% in dry fodder<\/strong>, and <strong>over 40% in concentrated feed.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The situation is particularly dire in high-output states like <strong>Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan<\/strong>, where demand far outstrips supply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Low Per Animal Yield:<\/strong> India\u2019s <strong>per-animal yield remains low<\/strong>, largely due to poor nutrition, despite being world\u2019s largest producing milk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic and Livelihood Impact: <\/strong>Poor feeding practices cause <strong>up to half of the potential productivity loss<\/strong> in dairy animals.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For smallholders owning two or three animals, even a <strong>one-litre drop in milk yield<\/strong> per day can lead to serious economic distress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Malnutrition also <strong>extends calving cycles<\/strong>, <strong>increases disease risks<\/strong>, and <strong>raises veterinary expenses<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons Behind Fodder Gap in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Urbanization and infrastructure expansion<\/strong> have encroached upon traditional grazing lands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Crop residues<\/strong> such as paddy straw are increasingly diverted to <strong>industrial use<\/strong>, leaving less for livestock.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some residues provide <strong>low nutritional value<\/strong>, sustaining but not enhancing productivity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Climate variability <\/strong>\u2014 including droughts, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures \u2014 has <strong>hurt seasonal fodder crops<\/strong> like berseem and maize.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rising <strong>Prices of Fodder Seeds &amp; Commercial Feed: <\/strong>Many farmers are being <strong>forced to sell livestock<\/strong> prematurely, breaking productive herds and destabilizing <strong>milk procurement chains<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If unchecked, this could erode <strong>rural incomes<\/strong>, threaten <strong>food security<\/strong>, and compromise India\u2019s <strong>dairy leadership<\/strong> globally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Does Fodder Matters?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fodder isn\u2019t just animal feed \u2014 it\u2019s the fuel behind India\u2019s dairy economy. Poor-quality or insufficient fodder leads to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduced milk yield and quality;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Higher veterinary costs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Increased methane emissions from inefficient digestion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater vulnerability to diseases like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-09-2022\/lumpy-skin-disease-virus\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-09-2022\/lumpy-skin-disease-virus\">Lumpy Skin Disease<\/a>;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Addressing the fodder crisis demands <strong>coordinated policy and scientific interventions<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establish <strong>dedicated fodder zones<\/strong> at village levels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote <strong>multi-cut, high-yielding, drought-resistant fodder varieties<\/strong> such as sorghum, maize, and napier.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Train farmers in <strong>silage making, hydroponics<\/strong>, and <strong>fodder preservation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourage <strong>fodder-food crop integration<\/strong> through sustainable agronomic practices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use <strong>satellite mapping and AI-based forecasting<\/strong> to identify fodder-deficit areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Develop <strong>region-specific fodder packages<\/strong> through agricultural and veterinary universities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Towards a Green Fodder Revolution: <\/strong>Inspired by the <strong>success of the Green Revolution<\/strong> in food grains, <strong>the Green Fodder Revolution <\/strong>would involve:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Diversifying cropping systems to include high-yield fodder varieties like Napier grass, maize, and legumes;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promoting agroforestry and silvopasture to integrate trees and fodder crops;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Investing in fodder banks and cold chains to store surplus during lean seasons;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Training farmers in sustainable fodder cultivation and feed management;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Policy support through subsidies, insurance, and inclusion in flagship schemes like PM-Kisan;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role of Cooperatives and Private Dairy Players: <\/strong>India\u2019s <strong>dairy cooperatives like Amul<\/strong> can lead the response by:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Setting up <strong>local fodder banks<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Distributing <strong>fodder seeds<\/strong> and providing <strong>feeding advisory services<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establishing <strong>contract farming partnerships<\/strong> with private players to ensure steady fodder supply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Just as India overcame past challenges through the <strong>White Revolution<\/strong>, it now needs a <strong>Green Fodder Revolution <\/strong>\u2014 one ensuring every dairy animal has <strong>adequate, nutritious feed year-round<\/strong>, securing both <strong>rural livelihoods<\/strong> and the <strong>nation\u2019s food future<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/agriculture\/india-needs-agreen-fodder-revolution\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: DTE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Context<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">India, the world\u2019s largest milk producer, is facing a severe shortage of fodder and livestock feed, and risks undermining decades of progress in rural development and nutrition.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>About<\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">India is accounting for approximately 23\u201324% of global milk output, and over 70 million farmers are directly involved in dairying.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It contributes to one-third of rural household income, especially for small and marginal farmers.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Livestock contributes over 5% to India\u2019s Gross Value Added (GVA) and more than 30% of the agriculture and allied sector\u2019s GVA, supporting 80 million rural households.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/28-10-2025\/india-needs-a-green-fodder-revolution\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":57785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57777","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/10\/green-fodder-revolution-india.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57777","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57777"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57827,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57777\/revisions\/57827"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}