This document presents a model for sustainable animal production at the village level in India. It proposes providing smallholder farmers access to new technologies like biogas production, vermicomposting, and hydroponic fodder cultivation. Hydroponic fodder production is highlighted as it can grow 8 times the biomass in just 7 days using minimal land and water. The model aims to help small farmers become financially viable by giving them access to credit to obtain these technologies and access to markets to sell their products.

1. An Implementation Model at Village Level for
sustainable and sustained Animal Production
By
Dr. P.N. Bhat
Chairman,
World Buffalo Trust &
Centre for Integrated Animal Husbandry & Dairy Development,
Noida
Presented
at
AYURVET KNOWLEDGE SYMPOSIUM
ON
13TH OCTOBER 2012
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2. An Implementation Model at Village Level for
sustainable and sustained Animal Production
Objective
Agricultural technologies are now available which can change the life of a
small, marginal farmer from BPL status to outside the poverty net using
Animal Production technologies in a sustained integrated manner.
If this farmer is given access to Credit, access to Technology and access
to Market he will become financially viable entrepreneur with a monthly
income of Rs.10,000/ month.
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3. Small Holder Farmers in India
India’s small-holder farmers (those owning less than 2.0 ha of farmland)
comprise 78% of the country’s farmers
They own only 33% of the total cultivated land
They produce 41% of the country’s food-grains
Their productivity is higher than that of medium- and large-size farms.
In spite of this:
Small- holder families constitute the bulk of India’s hungry and poor.
Small- holder families constitute more than half of the national
population
A synergistic blend of traditional and modern knowledge, tools, and technologies - “the eco-technology”
- should be mobilized to assist small-holder households (Pinstrup-Andersen, 2000)
Data Source: Report- FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, March 2002
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4. Integrated crop-livestock farming system – Key aspects
Nutrient cycling
Livestock
Production
Integrated Crop-livestock
Farming
System
Crop Residues Forage Crops
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5. Average sized village has around 5-800
households, out of which 560 are
comprising of small and marginal farmers,
landless labour, who are doing farming for
their livelihood as they know no better.
These farmers are financially non –viable.
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6. In spite of several Agricultural Technologies
being available, this farmer cannot take
advantage from them, given the socio-economic
environment in which he operates.
What are the technologies?
1) Biogas for fuel & light
2) Vermi compost for soil fertility
3) Hydroponic fodder for feed
4) Green silage from bhusa and crop residue mix.
5) Vegetable culture
6) Marketing technologies
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7. Green Fodder – Current Scenario
Series1
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Demand
Supply
Deficit
Demand,
1025
Supply,
389.81
Deficit,
635.19
Series1
Green fodder supply in 2003 - 389.81
million tonnes (mt), demand was
1025mt, a staggering 62% deficit.
Series1
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1960-61
2003-04
Decrease
1960-61,
13.97
2003-04,
10.45
Decrease,
3.12 Series1
Union Ministry of Agriculture states
that pastures and grazing lands have
decreased from 13.97 million hectares
in 1960-61, to 10.45 million hectares in
2003-2004 ---a 25.19% decrease.
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8. • In India, Pasture based Livestock Production
can be practice only in few hill states of
Himalayas and North Eastern Range.
• In the southern states of India - Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
have some temperate climatic areas but in bulk
of tropics, land availability for growing green
fodder is very limited.
• Therefore livestock production has to be based
on crop residues. The other alternative is
Hydroponics
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9. 8

10. Ayurvet ProGreen Hydroponics
Greenhouse Machine
Presents
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11. 8 times conversation of biomass in 7 days
Day 3
Day 1
Day 2
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
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12. Ayurvet Hydroponics Technology
By Ayurvet ProGreen Hydroponics we have successfully grown in just 7 days:
• Maize Green Feed
•Barley green Feed
•Oat Green Feed •Paddy Seedlings
•Sorghum Green Feed •Wheat Grass
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13. Merits of the Technology
Marginal land usage
Saving of water
Reduction in growth time
Less labour intensive
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14. Technology leading to Value Addition
Comparison between Conventional and Hydroponics Farming
Conventional Hydroponics Savings
Land Requirement (sq. ft.) 4356 265 4091
Water Requirement (Lit.) 80 3 77
Time Requirement (days) 45 7-8 37
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15. Comparative Nutrient Analysis
Comparison of Hydroponics feed with conventional fodder (Barley)
Nutrient Grain Barley Conventional Fodder Hydroponics Fodder
Protein% 10.1 11.5 31.99
Fibre% 6.80 31.8 24.75
Energy (kcal/kg) 3900 2600 4727
Ash% 2.79 11.4 5.70
Biomass conversion 1:8
Vitamin A & E are also on the higher side.
Almost complete Feed: Hydroponics feed consists of grass, along with grain
and root.
Highly palatable: contamination free & has shown positive results in
enhancing the productivity and fertility of animals.
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16. One machine can produce 249 kg of
fortified green feed which is fit to
raise 40 lactating cows if fortified
with some concentrates it can raise
upto 50 cows in milk a day.
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17. His problems are well understood and can
be restated again.
(1) No access to technology
(2) No access to credit so that he can use
the technologies
(3) No access to market
If these constraints are sorted out he can
be converted to become a financially
viable entrepreneur
How?
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18. Several models have been suggested
with varying degrees of success.
 Dairy cum Agricultural Cooperatives
 Self Help Groups
 NGO interventions
 Private initiatives by Corporates
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19. Most effective and workable is individual
farmers initiative, but that needs a literate
farmer/ entrepreneur who can understand
the management system and operate it
profitable.
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20. Any suggestions on game changer
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21. We look forward to your views and support
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