Bhiwani: Fodder prices shoot up, gaushalas face scarcity

Deepender Deswal
Bhiwani, April 19

Livestock owners are in for a shock this rabi season. The price of wheat straw fodder, a major ingredient of the dry feed for the livestock, especially buffaloes and cows, has touched a record high this year.

Wheat straw fodder, which is in high demand for livestock, is being sold between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 per quintal. Even the gaushalas, which used to get fodder in donation from farmers or at cheaper prices, are facing scarcity of fodder.

According to fodder traders, the price of dry fodder, made of wheat straw, has gone almost double compared to last year. The per acre fodder, which produces about 20 quintals of fodder, was about Rs 6,500 to Rs 7,000 which has now spiralled to approximately Rs 15,000 this year in the wholesale market.

Sanjay, a fodder trader and cattle owner in Kirtan village, said he had purchased one acre wheat fodder for Rs 14,500 after hard bargain, while last year he had got it for Rs 6,500. “The per quintal fodder price is no less than Rs 700 per quintal this time, almost double than the last year,” he stated.

He maintained that the area of the sowing of wheat had shrunk this rabi season and the excessive usage of the combine machine for harvesting were the main reasons behind the shortage of fodder in Haryana.

Significantly, fodder is not hoarded by harvesters or traders. Dr Rajinder Singh, professor at the Lala Lajpat Rai University of the Animal and Veterinary Sciences (LUVAS), stated that dry fodder, made of wheat straw, was the main feed of the cattle throughout the year which is mixed with green feed and other feeds. “Every cattle has a requirement of about 2.5% fodder of its weight daily. The cattle rearing farmers store the annual quota during the rabi harvesting season,” he said. Dr Singh stated that the prices in the Bhiwani and Rothak region were even higher as the dairy owners have purchased dry fodder at a rate of Rs 1,000 per quintal. Haryana has around 58 lakh buffaloes and about 25 lakh cows, he stated, adding that on an average, each cattle needs 6-7 kg of dry fodder per day.

Gaushalas, which keep cows, are also facing a serious crunch as the farmers who used to donate fodder for free have pulled back this harvesting season. Mahesh Bansal from Shri Krishan Gaushala in Uklana said, “Gaushalas cannot afford to purchase dry fodder at higher prices. In view of the prevailing situation, gaushalas have to be shut and cows will be out on the roads. Across Haryana, gaushalas are not getting fodder as donations or even at affordable prices,” he said.

In dire straits

Gaushalas cannot afford to purchase dry fodder at higher prices. As a result, these have to be shut and cows will be out on roads. Across Haryana, gaushalas are not getting fodder as donations or even at affordable prices. A gaushala worker in Uklana