Abstrakt

Scope of unconventional feeds in India on rumen fermentation, methane inhibition, gastro intestinal nematodes and performance of the ruminants

S K Saha

 Indian farmers can neither spare land for feed and fodder production nor can they afford to shop for expensive concentrates to feed their animals. Therefore, efficient utilization of land for forage production and utilization of unconventional and fewer utilized plant feed resources for ruminants are vital . The shortage of dry fodder, green fodder and concentrate is as high as 40% and fodder which is being cultivated in only 4% of the agricultural land which is not adequate to meet the requirement of fodder in the country. The figure compiled by National Dairy Development Board consultancy Service estimates the shortage of green fodder (36%), dry fodder (40%) and feed concentrates (57%). The scenario appears alarming just in case of availability of quality fodder seeds since as per the estimates of NDDB, about 40,000 plenty of fodder seeds are produced against a demand of about 5.4 lakh tons annually (MOA, Govt. of India, 1992). In such situation proper utilization of the available resources and finding the choice to satisfy the demand of the feed is vital . To focus on unconventional feed for its better utilization to increase productivity and performance is only option in hand.