Now, farmers use paddy stubble as dry fodder for milch cattle

Faridkot, November 18

Many small farmers in the area have started storing paddy crop residue for using it as dry fodder for their animals. They have stopped burning paddy stubble.

Study recommends use for bedding too

• A study by Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University recommends paddy straw should be used as bedding for dairy animals
• A bedding of 30-cm thickness during winter increased milk yield by 17.1% during the study period, says university.

Skyrocketing prices of ‘toodi’ (dry fodder) made from wheat crop residue is the main reason why many dairy farmers use paddy stubble as a dry fodder for their animals.

‘Toodi’ is selling at Rs 1,000 per quintal this year in comparison to prices ranging between Rs 400 to Rs 500 last year. Low yield of wheat resulted in less production of ‘toodi’ last rabi season. Punjab, which has around 35 lakh hectares under wheat cultivation, produces 20 million tonnes of ‘toodi’ in normal season. But last rabi season, total production of ‘toodi’ was around 15 million tonnes only. ‘Toodi’ is the all season dry fodder for milch cattle.

These farmers cut the upper part of the paddy crop, particularly the Basmati residue and use it as fodder for animals. Most are not even burning few centimetres of left out roots in their fields.

“This is first time that we are storing paddy stubble to use it as dry fodder instead of ‘toodi’ for our milch animals,” said Jeet Singh, a farmer in Faridkot.

“Besides saving our expenses on buying ‘toodi’ for our animals, we will not burn stubble and improve fertility of our land,” he said.