Animal feed industry should take steps to address fodder shortage: Union Minister Parshottam Rupala

With the country facing shortage of fodder, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala on Friday asked the animal feed industry to take serious steps in an innovative manner to address the issue.

The industry should scale up the fodder production so that the cost does not rise and impact milk prices, Rupala said here while addressing a symposium organised by CLFMA of India, an association of the livestock industry.

"If the cost of feed/fodder rises, its impact is on milk prices. It also affects the income of dairy farmers," the Union minister added.

In a normal year, the country faces a deficit of 12.15 per cent green fodder, 25-26 per cent of dry fodder, and 36 per cent of concentrated fodder.

For the past few years, milk prices have been rising, mainly as production suffers due to insufficient fodder. The various reasons for fodder shortage in the country include changing land use patterns, urbanisation, declining productivity of pastures, diversion of land towards commercial crops, diversion of crop residues to other industrial uses, non-availability of quality fodder seed, and increasing demand for fodder due to improved productivity of animals.

“It is ironic that on one hand farmers are burning stubble, while on the other they are facing the fodder problem,” Rupala said, adding that the industry should look into these two issues and find a new solution.

He also said that the government is linking technology with the dairy sector, thus helping open new avenues. The minister pointed out that fund allocation after creating a new ministry has increased.

The NDA government has taken two very important decisions to address animal health issues prudently. One is a universal vaccination program for all animals to eradicate the disease of foot and mouth disease and Brucellosis. Another important step was provisioning for 4,340 mobile veterinary units with 100 per cent central assistance. This will be a game changer in terms of providing better health services at the door step of farmers residing in villages, the minster said.

For instance, Rupala explained that the total expenditure on the fishery sector was meagre at Rs 3,680 crore since the country's independence till 2014. However, he added, after creating a new ministry, the allocation for just one scheme 'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' -- launched in September 2020 -- was Rs 20,000 crore.