AT A time when dairy farmers across the country are struggling to keep their businesses afloat in the face of steady inflation in fodder prices and severe shortage in fodder availability, animal husbandry continues to be a profitable proposition in the semi-arid region of Rajasthan's Udaipur and Bhilwara districts.
"Till 10 years ago, we too used to struggle for arranging feed for our animals," says 50-year-old Sarsi Bai, from Boojh village in Udaipur district. Though arranging fodder and different forage crops for their livestock has been a way of life for the residents of the semi-arid village, fodder availability had gradually reduced with population growth and fragmentation of landholding. In the 2010s, the situation became so dire that most households had to buy fodder from a private beed (pasture) some 7 km away; price of the fodder depended on the beed owner's will. In 2016, Boojh residents got in touch with the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a non-profit that works with communities across the country on ecological restoration. This marked a turnaround for not only the households of Boojh, but also several other villages in the region.
"FES researchers told us that we can overcome the fodder crisis by reviving and managing the shamlat or village common land," recalls Deepak Shrimali, a resident. There are three pastures, spanning 45 hectares (ha), which Boojh residents shared with neighbouring villages. Soon, almost all the households in the village came together to set up a "pasture development and management committee", and named it after the local deity Bhujeshwar Mahadev. The committee decided to revive one of the three pastures. FES prepared a revival plan for the 15 ha patch and offered guidance to the committee from time to time.
This story is from the April 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
In leading role again
MOVIES AND WEB SERIES ARE ONCE AGAIN BEING SET IN RUSTIC BACKGROUNDS, INDICATING A RECONNECT BETWEEN CINEMA AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
One Nation One Subscription comes at a huge cost
As top US universities scrap big deals with top scientific publishers, India’s ONOS scheme seems flawed and outdated
Return of Rambhog
Bid to revive and sell the aromatic indigenous paddy variety has led to substantial profits for farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region
Scarred by mining
Natural springs of Kashmir drying up due to illegal riverbed mining
Human-to-human spread a mutation away
CANADA IN mid-November confirmed its first human case of avian influenza, with a teenager in the British Columbia being hospitalised after contracting the H5N1 virus that causes the disease. The patient developed a severe form of the disease, also called bird flu, and had respiratory issues. There was no known cause of transmission.
True rehabilitation
Residents of Madhya Pradesh's Kakdi village take relocation as an opportunity to undertake afforestation, develop sustainable practices
INESCAPABLE THREAT
Chemical pollution is the most underrated and underreported risk of the 21st century that threatens all species and regions
THAT NIGHT, 40 YEARS AGO
Bhopal gas disaster is a tragedy that people continue to face
A JOKE, INDEED
A CONFERENCE OF IRRESPONSIBLE PARTIES THAT CREATED AN OPTICAL ILLUSION TO THE REALITY OF A NEW CLIMATE
THINGS FALL APART
THE WORLD HAS MADE PROGRESS IN MITIGATING EMISSIONS AND ADAPTING TO CLIMATE IMPACTS. BUT THE PROGRESS REMAINS GROSSLY INADEQUATE
