States pitch for separate FCI to ensure fodder security

In order to improve availability of fodder in the country, several state governments today suggested setting up of a Fodder Corporation of India (FCI), ban on export of oilseed cake and disallowing harvesting of wheat and other fodder crop using combine harvestor.

Some states also demanded that the Centre should treat animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries at par with the agriculture sector and ensure benefits such crop loans at lower interest rate and Kisan Credit Cards facilities are passed on to people engaged in allied agriculture activities.

Flagging concerns of the allied farm sector at a national conference here, the state ministers handling this sector told Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh to address these issues at the earliest to achieve the next level of growth.

Inviting suggestions from the states on various issues, Singh said the state governments should implement the ongoing schemes related to this sector in its true spirit.

"A sub-mission on fodder under the National Livestock Mission will try to address the problems of scarcity of animal feed resources in the country," he said and added that large-scale prevalence of animal disease is also the biggest hurdles to growth of dairy and livestock productivity.

Among various recommendations made to the Centre, Gujarat Animal Husbandry, Cow Care and Fisheries Minister Babhubhai Bokhiriya suggested establishment of a 'Fodder Corporation of India' on the lines of 'Food Corporation of India'.

"Food Corporation of India was set up with a motto that no citizen should remain hungry. Unfortunately for animals, there is no food resource management system in the country. We need to establish a nationwide store and distribution network for fodder across the country," he said.

To improve fodder supply, Madhya Pradesh Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Kusum Singh Mehdele recommended ban on harvesting of wheat and other fodder crops through the combine harvestor without attachment of straw ripper, so that wheat straw can be produced in adequate quantity.

"Government should seriously plan to impose restriction of industrial utilisation of wheat straw," he said.

Stating that shortage of feed and fodder is posing a major challenge, Karnataka Animal Husbandry Minister T B Jayachandra suggested supply of maize, feed crop, directly from the state-run Food Corporation of India for preparation of compounded feed.

"Feed ingredients like maize should be made available directly to the poultry farmers from FCI (Food Corporation of India) through poultry federations to prepare the compounded feed themselves to reduce the cost of feed and make the enterprise profitable."

He also demanded setting up of more feed manufacturing plants and central funds for growing fodder trees along with grasses in the state.

Haryana Agriculture Minister Paramvir Singh said that 70% of the total cost of dairy units is due to feed and fodder. "Apart from promoting feed and fodder production, we should also take immediate steps to put a ban on export of oilseed cakes to check the prices of animal feed in the domestic market," he said.

Seeking fresh initiatives for improving fodder supply, the state governments have also suggested several measures for boosting dairy and fishery sectors.