Status of Green & Dry Fodder in South-Eastern Rajasthan : A Review

This review paper aims at the status of fodder demand, challenges, and utilization in south-eastern Rajasthan in India. Available literature and reports by government as well as non-govt. organizations have been re-viewed in detail with the collection of data from nearby districts viz., Aklera, Manoharthana, Bakani, Jhalawar, Jhalrapatan, and Sunel as part of the methodology for preparing the manuscript. India contributes approximately 20 per cent of the world's livestock population, out of which Rajasthan contributes 11.6 per cent livestock population. Expansion in the livestock sector will show a great impact in employment generation and improvement in the financial status of the masses in rural areas. The livestock will be much beneficial during unfavorable conditions like, drought and famine and generate gainful employment in rural areas of Rajasthan. It is estimated that approximately 90 per cent of the livestock population in India subsists on natural grasses available in grasslands, meadows, forests, waste, barren, and fallow lands. There is a shortage of green and dry fodder ingredients which forces livestock to have a non-nutritional diet. As per the Five-year plan document, GOI, it has been reported that there is a net deficiency of 61.1 per cent green fodder, 21.9 per cent dry crop residue, and 64 per cent concentrate feed matter in India. Singh, 1995 reported that herbage production has been reduced due to a lack of scientific management practices for fodder production. Presently, livestock is the major source of cash income for subsistence farms and can be beneficial in crop failure or calamity. Livestock-based bioenergy and waste recycling can be utilized for organic manure and forage production. Thus, this paper gives an idea about the gap between fodder availability and its requirements