Rice straw and hydroponic fodder: Low cost feeding approach for goat farming in rural India

Abstract

Goat plays a vital role in the food and nutritional security of the rural poor especially in the rainfed regions where crop production is highly uncertain. Rearing large animals is not always affordable for resource poor farmers and that is the most probable reason for selecting goat as the best alternative. Availability of affordable feed and fodder is the key to livestock development. With the increasing population and growing urbanization, common grazing land is shrinking steadily leading to shortage of feed, fodder and grasses. Small goat farmers, who are mostly dependent on common grazing land find it hard to maintain their flock. Under these circumstances, low cost alternative feeding options have been conceptualized, tested and demonstrated during the period from 2016 to 2019 with the aim to encourage the farming community. In this context, two different low cost technologies viz., 1) feed preparation using rice straw and 2) hydroponic fodder production have been tried in the animal unit of IFS farm of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal and after getting encouraging results, these technologies were disseminated through practical production-cum-demonstration units of fifty women goat farmers with active support of Animal Resource Development Department, Cooch Behar District, West Bengal. The article discusses the technological interventions, impact and possibilities of the intervention on goat farming.