JOIN USSouth's first fodder cake unit ready
The farmers of the district have a reason to cheer as the first fodder cake manufacturing unit in South India, being constructed near Manachanahalli-Kalanahalli, will start functioning in a couple of months.
The unit is being constructed with an objective to prevent wastage and also produce dry fodder with byproducts that are available aplenty in the district.
The establishment of the unit will encourage farmers, who had stopped rearing of cattle as they could not afford it due to rising fodder prices.
The dry fodder cake technology is used in North India. Cattle rearers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh use such cakes.
Boost dairy farming
The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) decided to set up a dry fodder cake production unit in the state to boost dairy farming. Such units were sanctioned for Chamarajanagar, Shimoga and Haveri districts.
The Mysore-Chamarajanagar District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Federation (Mymul), using the Rs one crore grant under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas project, has set up the unit at Chamarajanagar well before other districts.
Mymul has purchased five acres of land for the purpose. More than 50 per cent of equipment have arrived and the remaining are expected in a week.
Production method
Hay from paddy, ragi and jowar will be cut into half inch size pieces and mixed with grains, husk, salt, etc. It is made into fodder cakes after processing.
Initially, there is a plan to produce 12 tonnes of cakes, with each weighing eight to 10 kg, per day.
As hay and fodder are utilised to make cakes, it would be a balanced food for the cattle.
It would help in increasing milk production and also fat content in the milk, said Mymul managing director Suresh Babu.
Preparations are on to float tenders to supply hay and raw materials. The price of the cakes will be decided later. The cakes will be sold to farmers in the district in a couple of months, he added.