Par panel pulls up Agriculture Ministry for fodder crunch

A Parliamentary panel today pulled up the Agriculture Ministry for not taking adequate measures to address the problem of fodder shortage, which is estimated to increase to over 100 million tonnes by 2025.
It also observed that the area under fodder cultivation is only about four per cent of the cropping area, and it has remained static for a long period of time.
"While the availability of feed and fodder has improved in the last decade, the committee note that still a lot is required to be done to bridge the gap between the demand and availability of fodder in the country, particularly during leand periods and crisis situations," the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture said in its latest report placed before the Lok Sabha today.

Quoting the estimates of National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, the committee said that the supply and demand gap of fodder was 81 million tonnes in 2015, which is expected to increase to over 101 million tonnes by 2025.
It said that livestock husbandry, which is an important part of Indian agriculture and rural economy, cannot be sustained without addressing fodder crunch issue.
The panel directed the Department of Animal Husbandry to "make concerted and coordinated efforts" to address fodder shortage "effectively and comprehensively".

"The committee, therefore, would like the Department to take up the issue with all its seriousness and coordinate with all stakeholders on the issue," it said in the report.

Besides, the panel recommended the ministry that the "practice of tentative allocation of funds to states should be done away with and instead need based funds as per the requirement of the states be allocated by the Department."
Calling for optimum utilisation of land resources for fodder development, the panel noted that the number of livestock is growing rapidly but the grazing lands are gradually diminishing due to pressure on land for agricultural and non-agri uses.
Therefore, the panel suggested the ministry to pursue its advisory and coordinate with all stakeholders to utilise huge land resources that fall under the category of open forests and area under horticulture orchards for growing fodder.

Barren land or non-forest wasteland or non-arable land should also be utilised for multi-perennial fodder crops, for which adequate incentives should be given to farmers.
"The committee strongly feel that the unutilised land of railways and defence should also be utilised for cultivation of fodder crops," the report said.
On non-utilisation of funds by states for fodder development, the panel recommended the ministry to "find out the constraints which hamper timely utilisation of funds and submission of utilisation certificates by the states."
It suggested that the ministry should keep a check on wastage of crop residues by way of burning and diverting its use for industrial purpose. It also called for development of varieties of food crops having high forage value without affecting yields and enhance nutrition value of fodder.