Budget 2025 ignored Fodder for dairy farmers

The Budget 2024-25 continued with its focus on the farm sector with an allocation of ₹1.52 lakh crore for agricultural and allied sector.

Allocation to the agriculture sector in the Budget increased by 4.58 per cent – ₹1.32 lakh crore from ₹1.26 lakh crore in the Revised Estimates (RE) of 2023-24. The Budget outlined its intent in increasing farm resilience by focusing on realising 109 high-yielding and climate-resilient varieties of 32 field and horticulture crops, and targeting one crore farmers across the country into natural farming, supported by certification and branding.

Apart from this, self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds production, digital crop survey in 400 districts are the other welcome measures.

The hike is allocation for Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying is also commendable.

However, the feed and fodder sector, which has prime role in bolstering animal productivity, was conspicuous by its absence in the Budget. The existing supply-demand gap in feed and fodder is set to widen.

On the technical front, research studies indicate that ensuring quality and sufficient quantity of feed and fodder has greater impact than breed improvement on increasing livestock productivity.

The average yield of milk and meat in our animals is 20-60 per cent lower than the global average. The timely unavailability of nutritionally rich feed and fodder is a major hitch that impinges on the farm animals’ productivity in the country.

Moreover, feed and fodder accounts for around 60-70 per cent share in cost of milk production. Therefore, the sector deserved special attention in budgetary allocation.

The government can adopt multi-pronged strategies for fodder sector right from its production to marketing. All the State governments must be directed to dedicate sufficient funds for fodder resource development. The Jhansi-based institute ICAR-IGFRI can be tapped for technical guidance, as the institute has developed fodder plan for various States and agro-climatic regions.

Investment is also required to ensure development of supporting market environment for surplus fodder encompassing backward and forward market linkages. Provision of dedicated market space with legal credentials will facilitate transparency and remunerative prices for fodder traders. Given the regional and seasonal disparity in fodder production, channelising funds for a community fodder bank to store surplus fodder for use during scarcity would be crucial for safeguarding the interest of small dairy farmers.

These initiatives are imperative for ensuring a consistent and reliable supply of fodder to dairy farmers throughout the year. The government's decision to form 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with allocation of ₹581.67 crore is again a commendable move to empower farming communities.

However, it is high time to give a serious thought on fodder centric FPOs. While the broader support for FPOs is beneficial, a targeted initiative in the fodder domain can address the unique challenges faced by livestock farmers. FPOs dedicated to forage production can streamline procurement, processing, and marketing of fodder.

Financial incentives play a pivotal role in promoting agricultural research for coming up with improved fodder varieties. By offering farmers monetary rewards for embracing high-yielding and resilient fodder crops, widespread adoption of forages can be catalysed.

This approach not only acknowledges the intrinsic link between fodder quality and livestock productivity but also addresses the economic concerns of farmers. Incentivising the cultivation of improved fodder varieties ensures increased availability, positively impacting the health and productivity of livestock.