Stories
Latur Farmers Sacrifice Sugarcane Crops to Feed Starving Cattle Amid Severe Drought
- •Distressed farmers in drought-hit Latur district are harvesting standing sugarcane crops to feed their livestock due to a severe fodder crisis.
- •Poor rainfall has dried up grazing lands and green fodder reserves, forcing farmers to sacrifice cash crops for animal survival, impacting the agrarian economy.
- •The Maharashtra government has declared a drought in 265 of its 358 talukas and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring and power bill subsidies.
- •Farmers like Narayan Gude are using chopped sugarcane mixed with soybean residue as fodder, as milk yields have drastically dropped due to inadequate nutrition.
- •Livestock, a vital financial buffer for Marathwada farmers, is now at risk, leading to losses in primary agricultural investment and daily supplementary income.
Key Questions Answered
Distressed farmers in Maharashtra's Latur district are forced to harvest their standing sugarcane crops to feed hungry cattle amid a severe drought and fodder crisis. Poor rainfall has dried up grazing lands and green fodder reserves, leaving cultivators with no alternative to keep their livestock alive.
The Maharashtra government has declared a drought in 265 out of its 358 talukas due to a rainfall deficit and announced several relief measures. These include crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies for affected regions.
Several farmers in Udgir tehsil have started collecting dried-up soybean stalks to convert into cattle feed in an attempt to tide over the acute shortage of green and dry fodder. Farmers noted that they prefer keeping their livestock alive even when there is little hope of earning from the soybean produce.
