Maharashtra’s Animal Husbandry Department has begun preparations to prevent a possible fodder shortage, directing officials and livestock owners to collect, store and process crop residues before scarcity develops. The move follows rainfall deficits and an anticipated impact on kharif crop production, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The department will focus on avoiding the burning or wastage of residues such as stalks, straw, husk and dry fodder generated after the harvesting of sorghum, pearl millet, maize, wheat, rice, pigeon pea and gram. These materials will be collected, safely stored and processed for use as livestock feed.
Animal Husbandry Commissioner Dr Kiran Patil has issued guidance to regional joint commissioners and district deputy commissioners of animal husbandry. The instructions call for preventive action across the state rather than waiting for a shortage to emerge and then attempting to arrange fodder supplies.
A statewide ‘Fodder Literacy and Conservation Campaign’ will be implemented as part of the response. The campaign will include village-level information on available crop residues, demonstrations on safe storage, treatment of poor-quality fodder and urea treatment of stalks and straw. Demonstrations on the use of chaff cutters will also be conducted to improve the usability of stored material.
The department will promote silage production in areas where green fodder is available. Veterinary hospitals and institutions will demonstrate low-cost green fodder production through hydroponic units. They will also guide livestock owners on preparing azolla beds and using azolla as part of animal feed.
The campaign includes 13 measures. These cover the availability of seeds for short-duration and low-water fodder crops, sowing fodder in areas exposed as reservoir and lake water levels recede, meetings with livestock owners, awareness programmes, expert guidance and locally appropriate low-cost fodder conservation initiatives.
The proposed approach links fodder security with crop-residue management. Instead of treating farm residues as waste or burning them after harvest, the department is seeking to convert them into a stored feed resource. The success of that effort will depend on village-level collection, storage facilities, access to processing equipment and the ability of livestock owners to adopt the recommended treatments before fodder availability tightens.
In his statement, Patil said using available resources efficiently before a shortage emerges was more relevant than searching for solutions after scarcity had already developed. He urged farmers and livestock owners to process available crop residues and give priority to producing nutritious fodder.
The department’s next steps are the rollout of the campaign across Maharashtra, demonstrations through veterinary institutions and the implementation of the 13 measures at the local level.
