114 / 147
Part VI :
Feed Resources
Maharashtra has been struggling with droughts and water shortage for the last many years and this
has resulted in shortage of both green and dry fodder. As a relief measure, the government supports
dairying by organizing free fodder camps every year in rainfall deficit areas. It also arranges for the
procurement of sugarcane tops from cane growers, its transportation and ultimate distributing it to the
livestock owners in scarcity areas at subsidized rates. To cope up with fodder shortages, government
is often forced to ban the sale of fodder outside the district where it is produced and prohibited cattle
herders from the neighboring states from grazing their animals in Maharashtra.
Regionwise, dry matter availability from crop residues is considerably lower in the districts of
Ahmadnagar, Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara due to higher density of dairy animals in these regions.
In case of Gadchiroli, Gondia and Chandrapur, the area under forest is relatively higher reducing dry
matter availability.