This year, Yadgir district has enough fodder in stock. It may be recalled that there was a shortage during drought four or five years ago.
According to information provided by the Animal Husbandry Department, the fodder stock available can be managed feeding 2.90 lakh head of cattle and 6.93 lakh sheep and goats.
Of the 2,90,774 head of cattle, 1,07,182 are in Yadgir taluk followed by 92,158 in Shahapur taluk and 91,434 in Shorapur taluk.
And, of the 6,93,940 sheep and goats, 2,42,844 are in Yadgir taluk followed by 1,56,065 in Shahapur taluk and 2,95,031 in Shorapur taluk, respectively.
While calculating stock, the department considers 6 kg fodder per animal per day.
Hence, the existing stock of fodder, including husk of paddy, groundnut, green gram and jowar, will be available for 43 weeks with the stock in Yadgir lasting 33 weeks and those in in Shahapur and Shorapur taluks lasting 43 weeks each.
Farmers have stored fodder in stacks to protect it from rain and also prevent it from decaying naturally.
“We have sufficient fodder stock in the district. By the time the existing stock is exhausted, green grass will be available for animals and then, the district will receive rainfall,” according to Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry Raju Deshmukh.
During the drought in 2019, the department had stocked fodder in fodder banks and distributed it among farmers at a cost of ₹2 per kg.
