Olivier De Schutter is the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food. He aims to inform people at the highest political levels about the role that smallholders play in the world
Sheep are the gift to dryland farmers by nature which can yield returns within 1.5 years of investment, says Veerakempanna. Veerakempanna of Anoor village in Chikkabalapur district, like any other dryland farmer in Karnataka, unable to meet the ends with dryland farming alone, was
supplementing his income by rearing some local breeds of sheep.
Livestock is a very important component for profitable farming as most of the agricultural by-products can be used to feed them converting them into manure immediately. Other economical gains are in the form of wool, milk, egg, meat and skin. In India, very good draught animals like bullocks and he
buffaloes can be freely obtained for cultivation.
Maintaining the availability of adequate feed for livestock is crucial to small holders who depend on their animals for their livelihood. Traditionally, efforts to improve the quality and availability of fodder have focused on technology, but the Fodder Innovation Project is revealing that streghtening interactions among the various actors involved brings even better results.
Summer is fast approaching and farmers of this region are gearing up to tackle fodder problem that they are faced with every year.
Jowar crop grown on the outskirts of Srinivaspur. DH Photo In fact, they have not had good yield this year but they are trying out every measure to save their cattle from going starved.
Here's a simple idea you may have heard for improving food security: Eat less meat. The logic goes like this. People in the developed world eat a huge amount of animal protein. And consumption of meat, eggs, and milk is already growing globally as people in poorer nations get richer and shift their diets.
JAIPUR: Climate change is likely to have an impact on the population of sheep and goats in the country. The feed and fodder scarcity is forcing the sheep farmers to resort to distress sale of animals which in turn is resulting in low economic realisation.
Forests provide grasses and tree leaves for livestock. However, for hilly population, livestock rearing mechanism and food production systems are closely integrated in the forest ecosystem i.e. forest provide feed and fodder, while in return livestock supply draught power and manure as well as milk and meat as a source of cash income to the farmers.
