The department of animal husbandry and veterinary sciences in Dakshina Kannada has prepared a plan to grow green fodder, in a bid to address the concern of feed shortage for cattle in the district.

Deputy director of animal husbandry and veterinary services, Dr Arun Kumar Shetty, said that various reasons, including shortage of green fodder, has affected the milk production in Dakshina Kannada.

While the procurement of milk at present is 2.5 lakh litres per day, the district has been recording a shortage of 80,000 litres every day. Hence, the department has plans to start hybrid Napier grass cultivation on 98.7 acres in Koila village of Kadaba taluk, through the Dakshina Kannada Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Limited (DKMUL), and also on gomala land available in the district through cooperative societies, he said.

Though the district has 2,52,401 cows, the milk production is less than the demand, he said.

“We have sent a proposal to the DKMUL, to cultivate green fodder in the available land. The main objective is to supply sufficient quantity of green fodder for cattle through the societies, and thereby help them reduce the cost of production. Most of the farmers in Dakshina Kannada lack space to grow fodder for cattle,” he said.

The DKMUL has been studying the proposal sent by us, and they have also conducted a survey in Koila village.

“Out of 98.7 acres of department land in Koila, only seven acres are used, and the rest of it is unutilized. The land in Koila is suitable to grow green fodder. We have already started cultivating ‘Annapoorna’ variety of hybrid Napier grass on six acres. The advantage of the variety is that it will continue to grow even after cutting the grass for fodder,” he added.