The root causes of this fodder crisis are a complex web of environmental and land-use factors. Rapid urban expansion and infrastructure development have steadily eroded common grazing grounds and pastures, minimizing land available for cultivation. Furthermore, the diversion of crop residues, such as paddy straw, to industrial uses leaves a marginal and often low-productivity portion for livestock consumption. Compounded by erratic monsoons, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures, the cultivation of essential seasonal fodder crops like berseem and maize has been severely impacted.

The implications for the Indian economy and rural society are profound. The livestock sector contributes over 5 percent of India’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and sustains over 80 million rural households, with women farmers forming the backbone of this economy. Inadequate feeding practices alone are responsible for nearly half of the potential productivity loss in dairy animals. For smallholder farmers, this translates to tangible distress: even a one-litre daily drop in milk output leads to significant cumulative income loss, compounded by delayed calving cycles and increased veterinary costs.

A worsening cost structure is accelerating the problem. Rising prices for fodder seeds and commercial feed are simultaneously discouraging fodder cultivation and squeezing farmer margins. This financial pressure is forcing vulnerable livestock holders into distress sales, compelling them to break up productive herds to survive. Such destabilization at the farm level poses a direct threat to the resilience of the national milk procurement and supply chain, risking rural incomes, national food security, and India’s standing as a global dairy leader.