Climate-Resilient Fodder Production: Perspective and Challenges in India

Abstract

Agriculture employs roughly 54.3% of India's workforce, with the livestock sector accounting for 4.11% of national GDP. The major economy in livestock sector revolves around milk and its by-products, which is highly dependent on livestock nutrition through fodder, roughages and concentrates. Amongst them, fodder remains one of the cornerstones for providing sufficient nutrition to livestock.  Despite its importance, fodder production is limited due to focused cultivation of cash crops, growing in marginal lands, limited resource and increasing impacts of climate change. Frequent weather anomalies such as erratic rainfall, drought frequency, temperature immoderations and rapid increase in greenhouse gases impairs whole value chain of fodder supply, quality and seasonal availability, which results in risk to productivity of livestock and farmers income. Fodder production can be improved through several agro-interventions and innovations including resource management, diversification, biotechnological approaches, artificial intelligence, ICT and sensor tools. Adoption of such technologies may enhance productivity and also support climate resilience. Utilization of simulation models and group-based management practices are also helpful in mitigating the impact of climate change on fodder dynamics. Various approaches to climate resilience agricultural adaptation and mitigation are need of the hour to achieve climate resilient fodder production and to mitigate harmful impact of climate change on forage crops for achieving sustainable production.