Silage- TMR
India has a net deficit of approx. 60% green fodder, 22% dry crop residues, and 64% feeds (ICAR). Uttarakhand has a 20.3 Lakh livestock population (Male + Female + Calves). No. of HHs owning livestock is around 0.83 Mn. However, production & availability of green fodder are not uniform around the year due to a shortage of irrigation facilities in hilly areas. Available forage is poor in terms of quality, deficient in available energy, protein & minerals. To compensate for the low productivity of the livestock, farmers maintain a large herd of animals, which adds to the pressure on land & fodder resources.
To mitigate these challenges, the production of silage was conceptualized under UKCDP through co-operative institutions. Objectives of the intervention:
- Utilization of crop residue wastage
- Sourcing of affordable & quality fodder
- Improving the productivity of milch animals from organically grown fodder
- Enabling better options and accessibility of farmers to quality fodders
Concept And Value Chain Development
UKCDP is operated under the financial assistance of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and a grant provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under CSISAC (Component-1). ₹ 3340 Crores has been provisioned for financing the potential business activities by MPACS.
Assistance provided under the scheme is such that it supports the establishment & strengthening of the end-to-end value chain of the commodities or services carried out by MPACS. The project also aims to connect cooperatives with corporates. The project provides a platform for the convergence of farmers and corporates for cultivating market-oriented produce thereby fetching increased remuneration for farmers.
Uttarakhand Cooperative Development Project (UKCDP) is India’s first integrated cooperative development project which is aimed at improving the rural economy by giving a boost to the cooperative, agriculture, and allied sectors through Multi-Purpose Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (MPACS). About 8-10 lakhs of small and marginal farmers of the state would be directly benefited from UKCDP. The project is financially assisted (loan) by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and grant part (which is 20% of the particular project cost) provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under CSISAC (Component-1). The Project assistance provided to MPACS under the scheme is such that it supports the establishment & strengthening of the end-to-end value chain of the commodities or services carried out by MPACs with the technical handholding support of the selected subject matter empaneled agencies.
Department of Cooperative Societies plays a pivotal role in the rural economy of the State through its interventions at the grassroots level. To increase the farmers’ income, the Department envisages aligning and channelizing the State’s efforts.
The UKCDP project works across the districts and is handled by a State Level Nodal entity called the UKCDP Programme Directorate which comprises Project Directors, Dy. Project Directors, Programme Manager, PMC, and Different Development Organizations.
