Farmers and dairy owners are concerned about a potential rise in the prices of ‘toori’ (cattle fodder) due to shortages caused by the lumpy skin disease outbreak among cattle last year and widespread damage to wheat crops this year.
This could lead to a hike in prices for milk and related products, affecting poor and marginal farmers who rely on cattle for sustenance. In communities throughout Doaba and other parts of the state, these farmers and labourers make up a sizable portion of the rural population.
According to Dheeraj Bajaj, general secretary of the Govind Gau Dhaam Gaushala, which has over 1,000 cattle, the twin crises caused by the LSD outbreak and the anticipated fodder scarcity this year have rendered dairy production unsustainable for many marginal farmers. According to him, the expense of raising cattle at the current levels of fodder price has compelled these farmers to abandon their dairy operations.
The budget for fodder at Bajaj's gaushala was Rs 21 lakh last year, but it has already risen to Rs 31 lakh this year. Fodder prices per trolley are expected to shoot up to Rs 10,000, compared to the normal rates of Rs 5,000 to 6,000. Fodder prices have also significantly increased from Rs 400-500 per quintal to Rs 700 in Kapurthala.
Harminder Singh, a farmer from Bhawanipur village in Kapurthala, who supplies ‘toori’ to gaushalas, said that the crop damage could make dairy farming unsustainable for small farmers and labourers. Jaswant Singh, Chief Agricultural Officer of Jalandhar, stated that there is clear damage to the wheat crop, which will affect fodder supply too. However, the agriculture minister has assured farmers that steps will be taken to provide relief to them.
In Moga and other parts of the Malwa belt, the price of dry fodder made from wheat straw has shot up to a 10-year high at Rs 900 to Rs 1,200 per quintal. This has made dairy farming unprofitable for landless dairy farmers who rely on purchased dry and green fodder.
