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Fodder scarcity looms large over Warangal
Even as fodder shortage problem looms large over Warangal district, the State government, instead of outlining steps towards mitigating the effects of drought in the upcoming summer and thereafter if rains play truant, appears to be quite nonchalant at the moment
Warangal: Even as fodder shortage problem looms large over Warangal district, the State government, instead of outlining steps towards mitigating the effects of drought in the upcoming summer and thereafter if rains play truant, appears to be quite nonchalant at the moment
Although, the government has declared 11 mandals in the district as drought-affected, the famine-like situation is also seen in other 40 mandals as well. Notwithstanding the fact that the district had received more than the annual average rainfall, the Kharif crops have been affected due to abnormal distribution of rainfall pattern like prolonged dry spells and less number of rainy days with downpours. This apart, the ongoing Rabi season too looks unimpressive. As a consequence, the fodder position in the district too was depressing.
According to data from Animal Husbandry department, the deficit of fodder shortage alone in 11 drought-affected mandals is estimated at 77,071 metric tonnes (MT). In these mandals, the number of cattle units is 4,71,581. It may be mentioned here that if an oxen is counted as one unit, a buffalo is counted as 1.2 unit, whereas five sheep or five goat will be counted as a unit. A calf is counted as 0.6 unit.
With each cattle unit requiring 5 km of paddy straw (dry matter) a day for six months starting from January 2016, there is a need for 4.24 lakh MT of fodder in the drought-affected mandals. The availability of fodder from all sources from Kharif is 3.21 lakh MT, besides expected availability of fodder through grazing lands is 25,782 MT.
Against this backdrop, the department has prepared a contingency plan to address the fodder shortage in the region and sent it to the government. The officials sought the government to supply 60 MT of fodder seed to take up its cultivation in 1,512 hectares, besides supplying 21 MT of mineral mixture, 3,024 MT of concentrated feed and 17,800 MT of mineral bricks with a subsidy of at least 50 per cent. To make use hardened maize and jowar straw fodder, the administration also sought 31 chaff cutters at 50 per cent subsidy. Each cutter costs around Rs 30,000.
Speaking to The Hans India, the Warangal Joint Director of Animal Husbandry S Venkaiah Naidu said, “Apart from the 11 drought-hit mandals, as of now the fodder position in the district is not that precarious.”
