Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Oct 15 Fodder traders in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region are finding it increasingly difficult to procure fodder amid a drought-like condition in several parts of the state, with some of them calling the present situation worse than the 1972 drought.
Sorghum (jowar) straw bunches are the primary source of fodder in this part of the state, but procuring them has become an uphill battle for local businessmen who operate out of the Jafar Gate fodder market in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Earlier, a truck could be filled with fodder sourced from a single village, with supplies lasting five to six days. Now, traders have to visit five to six villages to fill a truck, they said.
In several parts of the eight-district Marathwada region, the kharif monsoon failed so badly that crops, including sorghum and bajra, did not grow sufficiently to produce enough stalks or residue for use as fodder. The government has declared drought in 305 of 358 talukas in the state.
Shaikh Salim, a veteran trader who travels from village to village to procure fodder for the market, said the current drought-like situation appeared worse than the historic drought of 1972 in Maharashtra that had triggered a humanitarian crisis.
“I have been associated with this market since childhood. Procuring fodder from rural areas has become more difficult than it was during the 1972 drought. Back then, the cattle population was smaller, but the situation is now the opposite,” said Salim, who is in his 70s.
He said they are forced to source fodder from far-off places.
“The quantities we procure from a village are not enough to fill a truck, forcing us to visit other villages. We now have to visit at least five to six villages to fill a single truck,” he added.
Samad Shaikh, who owns a fodder-cutting unit in the city’s Jafar Gate market, a dedicated fodder hub, said he had never witnessed such a situation in his 30 years in the business.
“We are now sourcing fodder from the Mantha and Jintur areas of Parbhani district. Farmers do not have enough fodder to sell in large quantities while also ensuring adequate supplies for their own cattle. They sell only when they need money to meet their daily expenses,” he said.
Samad said sorghum straw prices had reached record levels. Even when traders are willing to pay higher rates, there is no guarantee that they would be able to procure the required quantities.
“Until last year, we paid a maximum of Rs 2,500 for 100 bundles. Now, we have to pay Rs 4,000. Even if we have the money, there is no guarantee that fodder will be available. Customers at the market are also bargaining hard because the higher prices have made fodder expensive for them as well,” he said.
Amid the scarcity, authorities in Nanded, Latur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district are encouraging farmers to grow fodder crops, said officials.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Wednesday that an initial relief of Rs 5,000 would be deposited directly into farmers’ bank accounts ahead of Diwali, a move that came after over 85 per cent of talukas in Maharashtra were declared drought-hit.
He said fodder reserves varied between 90 days and 7 months depending on the region. In areas where irrigation/dam water is available, farmers were being urged to cultivate rabi jowar and fodder crops. The state was committed to purchasing all harvested fodder at the Minimum Support Price, or MSP, he said.
(PTI News)
