Fodder shortage drives Buldhana farmers to sell cattle; soybean pods fail to fill

Buldhana: Having lost their kharif crops to the lack of rain, farmers in the district now face a shortage of fodder for their animals. Many are reluctantly bringing cattle to market to sell, while finding fodder for the animals they keep has become a pressing worry. Navarashtra reported the situation on October 10 after speaking to farmers at the cattle market in Dudha in the district.

Soybean and other crops have withered, causing heavy financial losses. With the crops dried up, there is little chance of enough dry fodder in the coming months, and the lack of water has made green fodder hard to come by as well.

Drought has been declared in the district. After rain stayed away for many days, the soybean crop is in very poor shape and its pods have not filled with grain, Navarashtra reported on October 11. Farmers fear they will harvest barely a quarter of their usual yield this year and are demanding immediate financial help.

Sources: Navarashtra; Navarashtra