Need to Work on Adequate Availability of Fodder for Animals: Union Agriculture Minister

On Wednesday, the third day of the International Dairy Federation's World Dairy Summit in Greater Noida, a special session on Feed, Food, and Waste was held under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. Tomar drew the attention of delegates from India and abroad to the challenges of the agriculture and dairy sectors, and spoke about the importance of working together on common issues.

He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused on small things to solve problems, which has resulted in widespread awareness. Specifically, there is a need to work on how to ensure adequate fodder availability and what can be done to achieve this goal. Tomar, emphasizing the importance of 'Waste to Wealth Management,' stated that we typically do not dispose of waste properly.

Whether it's crop stubble or the disposal of fruits and vegetables in homes, converting them into wealth is an urgent need.  There is a need to think about and work on how we can use waste in different ways. For example, the Pusa Institute has created a decomposer using technology. This will increase farm productivity while also providing fodder for the cattle; however, there is a need to work in this direction on a large scale.

According to Tomar, India is primarily an agricultural country, and the scope of Agriculture is incomplete without the sectors of Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives. In light of this, Prime Minister Modi has announced a special package worth more than 1.5 lakh crore rupees for Agriculture and Allied Sectors as part of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign.

Women make significant contributions to the animal husbandry and milk production sectors; women empowerment is an inherent part of their involvement in this sector. As a result, the Prime Minister established separate Ministries of Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, as well as increased their budgets. The overarching goal of all of this is to benefit farmers. Agri Startups are becoming increasingly popular.

The Union Agriculture Minister mentioned the Goras area of his parliamentary constituency, which used to be a herd of Gir cows. Even now, there are approximately 30,000 cows, but due to a lack of fodder during the summer, the cattle must be taken away for grazing; work in this direction has begun. There is also a need to focus on raising awareness about how cattle obtain food. He also stated that cow dung is a waste.

The Gobardhan scheme has been launched by the Central Government. Cow dung can be used to generate energy. This will increase income while also protecting the environment. Natural farming will be encouraged in addition. He claims that since Covid, people have become more health conscious and are gravitating toward clean and hygienic food.

Natural farming has captured the public's attention. Organic and natural farming are gaining popularity. It is highly sought after all over the world. India recently exported agricultural products worth Rs. 3.75 lakh crore, with a large proportion of organic products. He stated that whatever proposals emerge from this conference, the government will work on them vigorously.