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7327076 
Journal Article 
Fodder availability and accessibility of dairy farmers in Manipur 
Azad, AK; Raja, L; Rai, CK; Kumar, S 
2016 
0 
Progressive Research – An International Journal
ISSN: 0973-6417
EISSN: 2454-6003 
11 
3416-3418 
English 
Feed and fodder has great role in livestock farming. Availability of feed and fodder determines the production, productivity and profitability in livestock sector. Nearly about 60 percent of the total cost of milk production are involved in feed & fodder. In India, cultivation of fodder crops is undertaken in only 4.4 percent of total cultivable area and apart from that a deficit of 36 percent green fodder and a deficit to the tune of 57 percent in case of concentrates (IGFRI 2012). The gender plays pivotal role in various on farm and off farm activities. Hence, in order to explore the situation, the study were conducted in the Manipur. Two districts i.e. Imphal west and Imphal East were selected randomly and 80 farm families were considered for the final investigation. It has been found that majority of the farmers were depends on common property resources to meet the fodder requirement of their animal As the state is landlocked with hills and forest, so there is abundant of grasses for feeding of dairy animals. Purchase of fodders was limited because the farmers were not rearing dairy animals for commercial persistence because there is less demand of milk and milk products. The Manipur is a tribal state and the people are mostly depends on meat and fish. It has been also found that the respondents bearing small herd size and their milk consumption of indigenous cattle was 1 litre per day. The study revealed that 98.75 percent and 96.25 percent of respondents were depend on field for their green and dry fodder requirement. Thus, the results of the study brings to focus that the area is hilly and farmers are getting access to forest, common property resources and tree leaves to meet the feed & fodder needs of the animal. 
fodder; gender; livestock; common property resources