Seeds are the foundation of forage production. Technology facilitates in day-to-day operations for the system, but without a regular supply of quality seed in sufficient quantity, yields and crop quality can not be sustainably achieved. There is a large gap between demand and availability of forage crop seeds. With this in view, this presentation is made to augment forage – seed - preneurship at rural base. The approach is to equip seedpreneurs with desirable knowledge about product, financial and marketing aspects; higher technical skill and managerial expertise.

1. FORAGE SEED - PRENEURSHIP FOR RURAL EMPLOYMENT AND
INCOME GENERATION
Dr Jai Singh (ARS)
M. Tech Ph D
Former HOD (ENGG), ICAR – IGFRI Jhansi
E – Mail:jsingh.sre@gmail.com
FILE – PART A
NTRODUCTION
Livestock plays an important role in Indian economy. About 20.5 million people
depend upon livestock for their livelihood. Livestock contribute 16% to the income
of small farm households as against an average of 14% for all rural households.
It also provides employment to about 8.8 % of our population. Livestock sector
contributes 4.11% GDP and 25.6% of total Agriculture GDP. Livestock provides
food items (Milk, Meat and Eggs) for human consumption; wool, hair, hides,
leather and pelts as commercial goods; draft power in agriculture and transport;
dung and other animal wastes as manure and fuel; “moving banks” ready - to
avail - money in emergencies; guarantee for seeking loans, etc.
However, the profitability is directly dependent on the sources of feed and fodder,
as about 65-70% of the total cost of livestock farming is attributed to feeding.
Fodder in the form of natural feed stuff is highly nutritious, palatable, rich in
minerals & vitamins and highly economic source of macro & micro nutrients for
livestock and dairy animals. The average cost of one Kg legume based green
fodder is Rs. 2.0 with average Dry Matter (20 %), CP (18 %) and TDN (65) as
against Rs. 17.0 for one kg of commercial animal feed with average Dry Matter
(DM) content (90 %), crude protein (CP) 20 % & total digestible nutrients (TDN)
70 %. Cost of one kg CP and TDN from commercial feed has been estimated at
Rs94.22 and Rs26.98 as against Rs55.55 and Rs11.60 from green legume
fodder resulting in 41 – 43 % saving to farmer in herbage based fodder and feeds
(A K Garg, NDDB ).
Forage based animal production is considered to be the most cost-effective and
sustainable system. With feeding of good quality forage, particularly leguminous
fodder, feeding of concentrate can be reduced significantly. Animals yielding upto
5-8 kg milk per day can be maintained exclusively on quality forages giving
substitute for 4.5 to 5.0 kg concentrate (Hegde ,2006) . Therefore, it is essential
to improve forage productivity and production from cultivated lands, grasslands,
pastures and waste lands.
Seeds are the foundation of forage production. Technology facilitates in day-to-
day operations for the system, but without a regular supply of quality seed in

2. sufficient quantity, yields and crop quality can not be sustainably achieved. There
is a large gap between demand and availability of forage crop seeds. With this in
view, this presentation is made to augment forage – seed - preneurship at rural
base. The approach is to equip seedpreneurs with desirable knowledge about
product, financial and marketing aspects; higher technical skill and managerial
expertise.
1. Concept of Forage Seed Agripreneur:
Forage Seed Agripreneur is an entrepreneurial farmer whose main activity
is to organize or to carry out self business in forage seed production,
processing, labelling and marketing adopting continuing innovative
technologies and measures. This whole process involves four major
players:
(i) Farm Level Producers - to enhance forage seed production .
(ii). Service Providers - input borrowing and distribution, hiring of
equipment like tractors, land preparing equipment, seed drills, sprayers,
harvesters, threshers, dryers, cleaners, graders, sorters, packaging
machines, etc.
(iii) Input Producers - biopesticides, soil amendments, biofertilizers,
vermicompost, seeds, seedlings of diverse plant species, and
(iv) Post Prodution Processors - Processing, Certification, Labelling and
Marketing of Seed Produce .
2. Scenario on Availability and Demand of Fodders and Feeds in India :
Different estimates on availability and demand of fodders and feeds in the
country have been projected by different institutions. The respective deficit for
green fodder, dry fodder and concentrates presented by NAIP (2012) are 32,
23 and 36 % since decades despite large area under fodder cultivation (9.2
m ha) and permanent pasture & common grazing land (10.2 m ha). These
respective figures are likely to reach 40, 21 and 38 by 2025.
3. Average Actual and Potential Yield of Forages:
The present average annual green fodder yield of 36 tonnes / ha / year of
cultivated fodders is much below the potential yield of 180 - 300 tonnes of
green fodder (78 - 130 tonnes dry fodder) per ha/year.Year round green
fodder productivity of cultivated fodders varies from 176 to 260 t /ha averaging
214 t/ ha. (Hand Book of Agril ICAR - 2015). Similarly average green and dry
fodder yield obtained from pasture grasses, pasture legumes and fodder
trees is also much below (20 t / ha / yr) than that of average potential green
fodder yield of pasture grasses (57.33 t / ha / year) , pasture legumes (30.83
t/ha/year ) and fodder trees (73.3 t/ha/year). Green fodder productivity of

3. pasture grasses varies from 13 to 105 t/ ha (average of 15 grass species,
pasture legumes varies from 20 to 45 t/ha and of fodder trees varies from 50
to 90 t/ha. Availability of crop residues has also declined due to adoption of
high yielding dwarf varieties / hybrids and wastage in field handling and at
feeding manger.
4. Principal Causes of Low Forage Yield on Farmers Field :
i. Shortage of Quality Seeds: The principal cause of low yield
of forages is acute shortage of quality seed . Availability of
cultivated fodder crops seed is only 15-20% of requirement
(355000 t/ annum) and less than 10 % of range grasses ,
legumes and fodder trees. Projected seed requirement of
pasture grasses, pasture legumes and fodder trees has been
estimated at is 30590, 30330 and 1920 tonnes / year
respectively against availability of 3059, 3033 and 192 t/
year (assuming 10 % availability).
ii. In forage crops, seed is not considered as economic part of
the crop and usually harvested before the seed set .
iii. Non-synchronous flowering / anthesis and spikelet maturity,
abscission of spikelet after maturity and presence of large
number of sterile glumes in range grasses,
iv. Farmers unreach to the modern forage seed production –
processing technology.
v. Farmers unawareness about availability of grasses , pasture
legumes and fodder trees seed harvesting, collection,
processing and packaging devices.
vi. Inadequate agripreneurship in fodders, legumes and
grasses seed production, processing and marketing.
5. Forage Seed Requirement and Availability and Reasons for Low Seed
Production:
Current demand for seeds of cultivated fodder is estimated at 355000 tonnes /annum
based on the area under cultivation (8.3 m ha). But the availability of quality seed is
only 60350 tonnes (15-20% of demand). Seed production (2016-17) under NDP-I &
Non NDP-I was 3907.09 tonnes only. Foundation seed requirement for 8 important
cultivated fodder crops is estimated at 3941 tonnes (Hand Book of Agriculture ICAR).
Projected requirement of range grasses seed is about 31,000 tonnes / year, range
legumes 33300 tonnes / year and fodder trees seed 1920 tonnes/year. There are
many constraints being faced in providing adequate quantity of quality fodder seeds
These include : (i) lack of breeder's seed production farms, (ii) non-availability of
inventory/database for computing fodder seed availability and requirement in
different states,(iii) non-availability of quality/ certified seeds, (iv) low seed
production due to seed dormancy, seed shattering, blank/empty seeds, (v)
indeterminate growth habit coupled with non-synchronous maturity resulting in higher

4. cost in collection of seeds, (vi) lack of commercial seed production farms, (vii) lack
of improved variety of fodder for seed production, (viii) Less than 20 percent seed
replacement rate in fodder crops (vi) Only about 11% availability (0.45 – 0.50 lakh
tonnes) of certified / truthfully labelled seeds of high yielding improved varieties
requirement ( no authentic data available). etc.
6. Farmers Participatory Approach for Forage Seed Production
Program:
 Study of progressive attitude and interest of farmers in producing forage seed
before selection.
 Memoranda of understanding should be developed and agreed upon .
 Organising and making available required resources to produce forage seed .
 The production areas/sites should be in the proximity and easy access.
 Conducting training for the seed production and marketing.
 Regular meetings / workshops to review progress and transferring new
knowledge.
 Seed treatment practice for increased seed germination, field emergence and
seed yield need to be given.
 Making aware on Cost : Benefit ratio which may range from 1.38 to 2.41 .
7. Forage Seed Market in India:
The Indian forage seed market has been estimated at Rs1400 million per annum and is
expected to grow further @ 18.1 % (Forage Seed Market - India Industry Trends, Market
Shares and Forecasts (2017 - 2022). Sorghum and berseem occupied the major share of
about 54% of the total cultivated fodder crops in India. Export of forage seeds during 2015
was around Rs203 million. India has established forage seed production programs and over
200 companies are currently involved in the business. The Forage Seed Market is
segmented into: (i) Cereal Forages, (ii) Leguminous Forages, (iii) Grasses and (iv) Forage
Trees.
8. Agri start-ups (Nov.2018 ) - Innovation for boosting the forage seed
production in India
Agri start-ups have received excellent support from the government of India through
supportive policies such as Start – up - India, Atal Innovation Mission, New Gen Innovation
and Entrepreneurship Development Centre, the Venture Capital Finance Assistance (VCA)
Scheme promoted by the Small Farmers’ Agri - Business Consortium and ASPIRE scheme
to provide the best technical support and reduce the gestation period of agri – start - ups. It
is a means to bring prosperity to farmers by providing cost-reducing solutions and achieving
desired sustainable and innovation - led growth. ICAR – Indian Grassland and Fodder
Research Institute, Jhansi, National Dairy Development Board, Anand , Fodder Seed
Agencies in Cooperative Sector, Central and State Agricultural Universities , State
Departments of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are supporting fodder and grass seed
producers to supply breeder, foundation, certified and truthfully labelled seeds,
infrastructural development funds, training and marketing.
NOW PL GO TO PART - B