BENGALURU: To make up for the severe scarcity of cattle fodder in the state due to drought, the government has decided to procure fodder from Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Maharashtra, said Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Horticulture minister A Manju on Tuesday.
He was responding to a question posed by BJP MLC Ramachandre Gowda on in the Council. "As per the 2012 census, there are 2.73 crore cattle in the sttae. At present, there is 52.49 lakh tonnes of fodder available which will be sufficient for 11 weeks. There will be a shortfall of 23.5 lakh tonnes of fodder till next monsoon. However, government is taking steps to get the required fodder," Manju said.
He also said there were fodder banks in 312 hoblis. “The government has supplied 4,000 fodder kits to farmers that can produce 25 lakh tonnes. This will be grown on 1,364 acres of land including government land,” added the minister.
Manju informed that the government constituted two committees which visited Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab where they are looking to obtain 15,000 tonnes, 70,000 tones and 10,000 tones of fodder respectively. “I have written letter to Union Railway minister Suresh Prabhu to allow them to transport fodder from these states with concession charge. We are waiting for his reply. The goal is to ensure at least five kg of fodder per cattle until the monsoon,” the minister said.