India needs a Green Fodder Revolution

India, the largest milk-producing country globally with a 24 per cent share in the world’s total milk production, faces a crisis that could undermine its dairy dominance. This challenge is not from global competition but from chronic shortage of fodder and feed for livestock. Estimates suggest a deficit of 11 to 32 per cent in green fodder, 23 per cent in dry fodder, and over 40 per cent in concentrated feed. In major dairy-producing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, the gap between demand and supply is even wider. While India leads the world in total milk production, the average yield per animal remains far below global benchmarks, with poor nutrition as a primary cause.

Behind the fodder gap

The fodder crisis is a result of multiple intertwined factors, which is affecting the productivity of livestock. Rapid urban expansion, infrastructure projects and land-use changes have steadily exploited pastures and common grazing grounds. Residues like paddy straw are increasingly diverted to industrial use, leaving a minor portion for livestock feed, and certain crop residues act as maintenance feed, which add very little to productivity of animal. Prolonged droughts, erratic monsoons and increased temperatures have severely affected seasonal fodder crops like berseem and maize.

Economic and livelihood impact

The livestock sector accounts for above 5 per cent of India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and above 30 per cent of the agriculture and allied sector s’ GVA, serving as a lifeline for over 80 million rural households. Inadequate feeding practices alone are estimated to account for nearly half of the loss in potential productivity of dairy animals. For smallholders with just two or three animals, even a one-litre drop in daily milk output can have significant cumulative distress. Poor nutrition also delays calving cycles, increases disease vulnerability, and pushes up veterinary costs.

A worsening cost burden

Rising prices of fodder seeds and commercial feed are reducing fodder cultivation and squeezing farmer margins respectively. Many livestock holders, unable to feed their animals, are being forced into distress sales by breaking productive herds. This, in turn, destabilises milk procurement for the dairy industry, threatening the stability of India’s milk production and supply chain. If the situation persists, the economic and social ripple effects could undermine rural incomes, food security and India’s position as a global dairy leader.

Way forward

This crisis requires co-ordinated policy and scientific interventions. Developing and protecting dedicated fodder zones in villages can help in reducing fodder gap, while the promotion of multi-cut, high yielding, drought-tolerant varieties of fodder crops like sorghum, maize and napier can increase production. Training farmers in silage making, hydroponics and other preservation techniques would ensure year-round fodder availability. Integrating fodder crops alongside food grains under well-defined agronomic practices could make cultivation more sustainable. The use of satellite mapping and AI-based forecasting to identify fodder-deficit areas in advance would allow timely and targeted interventions. Development and distribution of dedicated packages of practices for fodder crops by agricultural and veterinary universities can significantly boost fodder cultivation and improve availability.

Role of cooperatives and private dairy players

India’s successful dairy models like Amul and other cooperative systems have the organisational muscle to lead fodder planning. Cooperatives can ensure more resilient supply chains by setting up local fodder banks, providing fodder seeds to members and integrating feeding advisory services. The private sector can complement these efforts through contract farming arrangements to assure fodder availability for linked dairy farms. Such initiatives would not only improve livestock nutrition but also enhance the resilience of the entire dairy value chain.

Towards a green fodder revolution

The fodder crisis is not merely an agricultural issue. It’s a livelihood, nutrition, and economic stability issue. Dairy incomes are vital to rural resilience, particularly for women farmers, who form the backbone of India’s milk economy. Without urgent action, the country risks sliding into a damaging cycle of underfed livestock, poor productivity, reduced farmer s’ income and shrinking herds which weakens the national food security. India has tackled dairy challenges before through the White Revolution. Now, the country needs a Green Fodder Revolution, one that ensures every dairy animal has access to adequate and nutritious feed every day of the year, safeguarding both rural livelihoods and the nation’s food security.

Sushmitha K S is Assistant Professor, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar School of Economics University, Bengaluru

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth