India’s Dairy Sector Faces Critical Fodder Shortage Crisis

India remains the world’s largest milk producer, contributing 24 per cent to global milk output. However, in 2025, the country confronts a severe fodder shortage that threatens its dairy dominance. This shortage is not due to lack of demand but stems from chronic deficits in green fodder, dry fodder, and concentrated feed. The crisis is acute in key dairy states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, where supply gaps are even wider.

Fodder Deficit and Its Causes

India experiences an 11 to 32 per cent shortfall in green fodder, 23 per cent in dry fodder, and over 40 per cent in concentrated feed. Rapid urbanisation and infrastructure growth have reduced grazing lands. Crop residues such as paddy straw are increasingly diverted for industrial use, limiting their availability for livestock feed. Climate factors like droughts, erratic monsoons, and rising temperatures have damaged seasonal fodder crops such as berseem and maize, worsening the deficit.

Impact on Livestock Productivity

Despite India’s leading milk production, average yield per animal remains low. Poor nutrition is a major factor behind this. Inadequate feeding reduces milk output, delays calving, and increases disease risks. Smallholder farmers with a few animals suffer income losses even from minor drops in milk production. Veterinary costs rise due to weakened animal health, further straining rural livelihoods.

Economic and Social Consequences

The livestock sector contributes over 5 per cent to India’s Gross Value Added and more than 30 per cent to agriculture and allied sectors. It supports over 80 million rural households. Fodder shortages force farmers into distress sales of productive animals, destabilising milk supply chains. Rising fodder seed and commercial feed prices reduce cultivation and squeeze farmers’ margins. This threatens rural incomes, food security, and India’s position as a global dairy leader.

Policy and Scientific Interventions

Addressing the crisis requires coordinated policies and scientific solutions. Protecting and developing dedicated fodder zones in villages can reduce supply gaps. Promoting drought-tolerant, multi-cut fodder crops like sorghum, maize, and napier can boost production. Farmers need training in silage making, hydroponics, and feed preservation to ensure year-round availability. Integrating fodder cultivation with food grains under sustainable agronomic practices is essential. Satellite mapping and AI forecasting can help identify deficit areas for targeted action.

Role of Cooperatives and Private Sector

India’s dairy cooperatives like Amul have the organisational capacity to lead fodder management. Cooperatives can create local fodder banks and supply seeds to members. They can also provide feeding advisory services to improve livestock nutrition. The private sector can support through contract farming to secure fodder for dairy farms. Such partnerships will strengthen the dairy value chain’s resilience and productivity.

Towards a Green Fodder Revolution

The fodder crisis affects livelihoods, nutrition, and economic stability, especially for women farmers who dominate dairy production. Without urgent measures, India risks a cycle of underfed livestock, poor productivity, declining incomes, and shrinking herds. Building on the legacy of the White Revolution, India now requires a Green Fodder Revolution to ensure adequate nutritious feed throughout the year. This is vital for sustaining rural incomes and national food security.

Questions for UPSC:

1. Discuss in the light of India’s dairy sector, the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.
2. Critically examine the role of cooperatives in strengthening India’s agricultural supply chains with examples from the dairy industry.
3. Explain the challenges of land-use change in India and how it affects livestock farming and food security.
4. With suitable examples, discuss the importance of technological interventions like AI and satellite mapping in modern agriculture and resource management.

Answer Hints:

1. Discuss in the light of India’s dairy sector, the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.

1. Climate change causes erratic monsoons and prolonged droughts, reducing fodder crop yields like berseem and maize.
2. Reduced fodder availability leads to poor livestock nutrition, lowering milk productivity per animal despite India’s large dairy output.
3. Livestock health deteriorates due to inadequate feed, increasing disease vulnerability and veterinary costs.
4. Smallholder farmers face income losses from decreased milk yield, affecting rural livelihoods and food security.
5. Rising temperatures and climate variability exacerbate fodder shortages, threatening the sustainability of dairy farming.
6. Overall, climate change disrupts agricultural productivity and destabilizes rural economies dependent on livestock.

2. Critically examine the role of cooperatives in strengthening India’s agricultural supply chains with examples from the dairy industry.

1. Cooperatives like Amul have built resilient milk procurement and distribution networks, ensuring stable dairy supply chains.
2. They facilitate local fodder banks and seed distribution, helping members manage fodder shortages effectively.
3. Cooperatives provide feeding advisory services, improving livestock nutrition and productivity.
4. By organizing smallholders, cooperatives enhance bargaining power and reduce distress sales of animals.
5. They encourage community participation and ensure equitable benefits, promoting rural income stability.
6. However, challenges include limited reach in remote areas and need for capacity building to adopt new technologies.

3. Explain the challenges of land-use change in India and how it affects livestock farming and food security.

1. Rapid urbanization and infrastructure projects reduce grazing lands and common pastures vital for fodder supply.
2. Conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses diminishes fodder crop cultivation areas.
3. Crop residues like paddy straw are diverted for industrial uses, limiting feed resources for livestock.
4. Loss of fodder resources lowers animal nutrition, reducing milk yield and livestock productivity.
5. Reduced livestock productivity threatens rural incomes and destabilizes food security dependent on dairy products.
6. Land-use change disrupts integrated farming systems, making sustainable fodder production challenging.

4. With suitable examples, discuss the importance of technological interventions like AI and satellite mapping in modern agriculture and resource management.

1. Satellite mapping identifies fodder-deficit regions, enabling targeted and timely policy interventions.
2. AI-based forecasting predicts climate impacts on crop growth, helping farmers plan fodder cultivation effectively.
3. Technologies assist in monitoring crop health, optimizing resource use, and improving yield of fodder crops.
4. Integration of tech tools supports sustainable land management and efficient use of scarce resources.
5. Examples include AI-driven advisory services and remote sensing for drought assessment in fodder zones.
6. Such interventions enhance productivity, reduce losses, and strengthen resilience of agricultural supply chains.