There is an eleven percent shortage of green fodder in the country, the government told the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question in March 2023. Against the annual requirement of 827 million tonnes, the supply is 734 million tonnes. A Gurgaon-based start-up proposes to bridge a part of that gap by growing fodder with hydroponics, reports Vivian Fernandes.
Milk yield and quality are a function of the genetic make-up of the animal, and nutrition. Cows and buffaloes get their nutrition from three sources: dry fodder or bhusa, green fodder and concentrate. Dry fodder is mostly fibre; it gives the animal a feeling of satiety. Green fodder and concentrate provide the bulk of nutrition, but the latter is expensive, so for cost-effective milk production, the green component must be increased.
Dairy farmers in India are mostly smallholders with kerchief-size plots of land, or none. Growing grass on scarce land exacts an opportunity cost; it means the farmer cannot grow an alternative crop that would be useful to them. There is also the tedium of cutting the fodder every day, and the burden usually falls on the women of the house, who also have to do housework. That adds to their drudgery.
Vijay Singh, an entrepreneur, who says he had a retail stack that became Jiomart, has come up with a likely smart solution to the conundrum. His Gurgaon (near Delhi)-based start-up is growing fodder in a soilless medium, with the roots of plants in trays dipped in water with soluble nutrients.
The trick is to keep costs low. Hydroponics, as the technique is called, does not need much land. That shaves quite a bit from the initial investment. Shunya Agritech, the start-up, sells maize seedlings that are 10 days old. At that stage, they have just two leaves. Their nutrient requirement is low, as is the electricity needed to light up the enclosed nurseries, for efficient photosynthesis. Keeping costs down is imperative for farmers to buy the product and the business to be viable.
Singh says he has enrolled about 3,000 farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Maharashtra and Gujarat are in queue. The business is subscription-driven. Buyers must place orders for a minimum of 10 days’ requirement costing Rs 1,500, and pay upfront. The produce is dropped at the premises of milk-collection agents, who get a fee for their services. Farmers pick up their lots, which are in the form of coiled mats, when they drop in to pour milk. About a third of the subscribers are repeat customers, Singh says. That, according to him, is a nice retention level at this stage of the business.
Singh says animals that are fed the green fodder show improved milk production in a few days. The milk also has more fat and solid non-fats (SNF), which is how milk is paid for. There is a saving of Rs 25 in daily feed cost and increased income of about Rs 65 a day, Singh says. Animals that are raised on the green fodder also have fewer dry days, according to him.
A hydroponics unit, of about 3,500 sq ft with about 11 levels can produce about a tonne of fodder. The idea is to set up units that can cater to about 25 villages rather than very large ones. The model is scalable.
Shunya Agritech has signed an MOU with the Indian Institute of Maize Research in Ludhiana for research on varieties and grains that would be amenable to hydroponics. Wheat and barley are the other crops of interest. Eventually, it intends to provide farmers with multi-grain fodder for wholesome nutrition.
