Drought, fodder crisis push Latur farmers to harvest sugarcane for cattle feed

Latur, Forced to choose between profits from their produce and the immediate survival of their livestock, distressed farmers in drought-hit Latur district of Maharashtra are taking sickles to their standing sugarcane crops to feed hungry cattle amid a severe fodder crisis.

With poor rainfall drying up grazing lands and green fodder reserves, farmers in the region are sacrificing cash crops to keep their animals alive, dealing a double blow to the agrarian economy.

The Maharashtra government has declared a drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.

Narayan Gude, a farmer from Kavha village who cultivates seven acres of land and rears seven buffaloes, two cows, and several calves, says he has no alternative left.

"There is simply no fodder because the rains failed. We have no choice but to harvest standing sugarcane crops," he said, adding that daily milk yields from his herd have dropped drastically to just 10 to 12 litres.

Nearly half a tonne of sugarcane is required every single day to keep his cattle fed, Gude told PTI.

The lack of rainfall has decimated other crops as well. Gude noted that his soybean crop suffered extensive damage, with yields expected to drop below half a quintal per acre.

"We are now using chopped sugarcane mixed with soybean residue as fodder," he said, appealing to the state government to immediately establish official fodder camps in the region.

For farmers in Marathwada, livestock acts as a vital financial buffer during lean crop cycles. However, as milk production plummets due to inadequate nutrition and water scarcity, cultivators are losing both their primary agricultural investment and their daily supplementary income.

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