Punjab to supply paddy straw to Kerala, will be used as dry fodder

Tribune News Service

Moga, November 13

The Punjab Government will supply paddy straw to Kerala, which will be used as dry fodder for feeding cattle. The southern state is facing an acute shortage of fodder these days.

Animal Husbandry Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar said this would help contain the rising air pollution in the state.

Although, the exact quantity of paddy straw required by farmers in Kerala is yet to be worked out by the government of the southern coastal state, it has already been decided to utilise the Kisan Rail Project to transport the dry fodder.

The Kisan Rail Project was started by the Union government to increase the income of farm sector by connecting production centres to markets and consumption centres.

The Kerala Animal Husbandry Minister, J Chinchurani, claimed that a significant number of dairy farmers would benefit if paddy straw was transported from Punjab to the southern state through the Kisan Rail Train.

Farmers in Punjab rarely use paddy straw as fodder for cattle due to higher silicon content in it as compared to the wheat straw.

Interestingly, Kerala is second only to Punjab in terms of milk production, but the high cost of dry fodder has adversely affected the sustainable viability of dairying as option for small and marginal farmers in the southern state to choose this allied profession of farming to increase their incomes.

Kerala being a land-stressed coastal state doesn’t generate adequate crop residue that can be used as fodder for cattle.

The Punjab Government has already instructed senior officers to draft the modalities of a memorandum of understanding, which will be signed with the Kerala Government, to provide paddy straw as per the requirement of farmers of the southern coastal state.

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