Funky fodder

Livestock farmers in Maharashtra and Gujarat are capitalising on an uncommon method to improve their herds and increase their incomes

The summer sun in interior Maharashtra brings with it a searing heat that scorches the land. For 30-year-old goat farmer Amruta Chetan Valvi, the hot season presented two challenges: keeping her herd of goats fed and healthy when open grazing was not an option, and securing fodder to make this possible.

With water becoming scarce in the summer months, Ms Valvi and other livestock farmers in her village — Jamana in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar district — were starved of the scarcest of resources. Ms Valvi had about 20 goats and they were a vital source of income. Earnings from the sale of milk and meat helped sustain her family of five through the year, especially during the months when there was no income from crops.

The problem was that every summer the adult goats would lose weight and the quality of the milk would dip, and with it Ms Valvi’s earnings. Then, in May 2024, Ms Valvi became one of the first goat herders in the region to change the way she reared her livestock. Instead of bemoaning the sun, she harnessed its energy by utilising solar-powered hydroponics to produce fresh and nutritious fodder for her animals.

Hydroponics is a technique of growing plants in a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. The solar hydroponics idea was brought to Ms Valvi’s village by Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI), an associate organisation of the Tata Trusts that works with rural and tribal communities.

The hydroponics technology is part of the Trusts’ larger ‘Lakhpati Kisan’ initiative, a multi-pronged effort to increase the incomes of rural and tribal farmers from agriculture and animal husbandry. To support small and marginal farming households dependent on income from livestock — and to understand how a wider programme could unfold — CInI has rolled out the hydroponics solution in 50 villages in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. 

The solar hydroponic technique provides a solution for the year-round availability of quality fodder. Says Sachin Choudhari, a livestock expert with CInI: “The need of the hour is to make livestock rearing more sustainable. Farmers need such pathways to build climate resilience and self-sufficiency.”

Fodder culture

The hydroponics unit is easily adopted. Solar energy is used to draw water from wells. Fodder grains such as maize are grown in minimal water in large racks of plastic trays. The hydroponics system transforms 1kg of maize or wheat seeds into 7-8 kg of green fodder within 10 days.

To feed a herd of 20, a goat farmer needs a rack of 48 trays. With the right planning on how to sow and rotate the trays, a farmer can get a regular supply of nutritious fodder. This is a far better feeding option than its alternatives, crop residue or grazing on open land. [CInI also has a model of 24 trays for farmers with smaller herds.]

The solar hydroponic method offers several advantages. The labour and time involved in growing fodder crops or grazing a herd are reduced considerably. The amount of water needed is low and farmers can also save on having to buy fodder from the market. 

There are other benefits as well. Maize is high in protein and easily available. Eating homegrown produce reduces the risk of goats consuming plants that could be toxic, a common cause of death in rural areas. Instead, the herds get a regular source of high-quality feed that improves their health and keeps lactation high.

The resulting improvement in the weight and health of goats and their kids has a direct impact on income gains — up to 25% — down the line. This increase in income is also because of the demand for quality goats and kids within the project area. 

There is a wrinkle here, though. The costs attached to solar hydroponics can be a deterrent for marginal farmers. A 48-tray rack costs around 43,000 and this yields about 60kg of fodder daily. The solar component costs around 38,000, but farmers can opt for manual watering instead.

“For marginal farmers and poorer households, financial support often comes through loans from local self-help groups, family members or their farmer producer company,” says Mr Choudhari.

The cost factor aside, Ganesh Neelam, CInI’s former executive director, is upbeat about the positives of the project. “Solar hydroponics is a solution that is both climate- and farmer-friendly,” he says, “This intervention has outcomes beyond farmers and herds. It makes green and nutritious fodder available around the year, it saves on water usage, builds climate resilience and it also helps reduce the pressure on forest resources.”

The farmer-friendly facet is what appeals most to Ms Valvi, “Earlier, we were dependent on conventional fodder and summers meant scarcity as well as water stress,” she explains. “It’s different now. The weight of our goats has gone up, their lactation levels are on the rise and their overall health has improved. I have a herd of 22 goats at present and I’m planning to double their number.”

While the intervention has been chiefly used for goats so far, Mr Choudhari says that the solar hydroponics equipment will work just as well in upping animal health and milk production.

Rolling out anything new is always a challenge in rural reaches. With the solar hydroponics solution, farmers have complained about cloudy skies (during the monsoon season) affecting the output of their solar panels. Additionally, the racks need protection from heavy rains and the trays need to be checked regularly to ensure that fungus and worms are kept away.

CInI works on engaging and training farmers to deal with these issues. It conducts hands-on training in operations and maintenance along with a local technology partner. Farmers who have already adopted the solution — Ms Valvi, for instance —  are brought in to share their experiences.

From the community perspective, the adoption and management of, and investment required for, any new technology is dependent on returns. If income increases are a certainty, then the new technology will be more than welcome. 

The success of the hydroponics intervention has prompted the Tata Trusts to expand the solution to other regions where farmers need a helping hand to boost incomes. And the roadmap for the future includes villages in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.