Canadian Forage Sorghum in Nepal

Role of “Canadian Forage Sorghum Hybrid- 30” on year round fodder supply to small dairy farmers, Nepal”
- Rameshwar S Pande,
NFGRC/Nepal & ABTRACO, Kathmandu, Nepal






1.0 Introduction:
Dairy enterprises are major sources of livelihoods of over 70,000 small farmers in Nepal. Nepal produces 1.2 million Mt of milk/year from 1.8 numbers of milking cows and buffaloes. The Dairy Development Corporation purchase about 0.2 litres of milk every day and pay over 1,052 million Rs as a milk price (DDC, 2005), equal quantities of milk are purchased by other 200 private dairies. The average milk consumption in Nepal is 49 Lt/year, far below compared to South Asian Countries 69 Lt. HMG/Nepal has targeted to raise milk production from 1.2 to 1.4 million Mt during the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007) (NPC, 2002).

2.0 Major constraints of dairy production:
The evolution of dairy enterprises was initiated in around 1980’s by importing high yielding cross bred animals (Jursey and/or Holstein Friesian crosses and Murrah buffaloes). These dairy animals are raised on concentrated based feeding which affects on high cost of milk production. Practices of forage cultivation are not common. Thus, the green fodder supply on year round basis- is a major limiting factor for profitable dairy enterprises in Nepal. Due to acute deficiency of quality feeds and fodder and increased feeding and management cost, the farmers are not getting adequate benefit as envisaged.

The discussions with the farmers reveal that about 60-to 90 percent of the income from the sale of milk are being invested to purchase concentrated feed. Due to high feed cost, farmers are not getting enough benefit as envisaged. As there is a lack of other means of livelihoods farmers are compelled to continue less earning dairy business. So, to sustain the dairy farming cost effective feeding systems needs to be promoted.

3.0 Endeavour to promote feeds and fodder development in Nepal:
Since the efforts of government and various non-government agencies significant achievements have been made in fodder and pasture development in Nepal (Pande,1994; 1997). However, the supply of fodder is lagged behind to meet the demand. The estimated shortage of dry matter is over 40 percent (Pande, 2004; 2005). The major fodder crops grown in Nepal are oat (Avena sativa), berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum), teosinte (Euchleana mexicana), Stylo (Stylosanthes guinensis), napier (Pennisetum purpureum) and others. About 2000 ha of land brought under fodder cultivation each year. To sustain the dairy enterprises as well as to improve the livelihoods of small dairy farmers more emphasis should be given on promotion of fodder based dairy enterprises needs to be promoted.

4.0 Promotion of fodder based low cost feeding systems:
Forage based dairy farming is one of the cheapest and environmentally sound system and could improve the animal health as well as reduce the cost of production significantly. Due to the concentrated based feeding practices, the unit cost of milk production is very high. For example, the cost of production of milk in Chitwan is about Rs 22/lt. Presently, the raw milk fetches about NRs 15- 18 per litre depending on fat and solid not fat content. So, to sustain the small holders dairy enterprises the cost of production of raw milk needs to be maintain at optimal prices by lowering of feeding and management cost.

5.0 Testing and expansion of Canadian Forage Sorghum Hybrid in Nepal:
The Canadian Forage Sorghum Hybrid –30 (CFSH-30) is developed in AERC, Canada by OP Dangi (AERC, 2005). CFSH-30 is a high yielding, nutritious, adapted to a wide range of climate, is a most suitable fodder for dairy animals. It contains 14-15 percent crude protein and could be harvested within 35-45 days of sowing, and gives 3-4 cuttings with the average yield of 3-4 Mt ton DM/ha (AERC, 2005, OP Dangi and R. Rana 2005: personal communication).

The CFSH-30 was first tested by NARC in Nepal during 2002/2004, produced yield of green matter 49 MT/ha to 74 ton/ha (NARC, 2004) and was recommended to expand at farmers level as an substitute to high cost concentrated feed.

The Agri- Business & Trade Promotion Multipurpose Cooperative Ltd (ABTRACO) has been supporting small dairy farmers by promoting cost effective milk production systems using CFSH-30 cultivation in Nepal with the financial support of Canadian Cooperation Office/Nepal in collaboration with AERC Canada since March 2005. ABTRACO has established over 620 demonstration and testing sites of CFSH-30 in 12 milk shed districts in collaboration with NARC and Livestock Department.

The preliminary results of the study revealed that the performance and contribution in ensured fodder supply is quite satisfactory. The average green fodder yield was 50 Mt /ha (ABTRACO, 2005, preliminary observation). Ms Sunita Chailagain of Lalbandi, Nepal reports that: “CFSH-30 is much better than oat, as it can be grown on year round basis and produces more fodder than oat, it is more nutritious and liked by the animals, even a stem of finger thickness are chewed. Her buffalo was giving two liters of milk/day since after feeding the CFSH-30, buffalo started to produce three liters of milk”. Mr. Ram Prasad Gautam of Chitwan says that “there was no difference in milk yield when the concentrated feed was replaced with CFSH-30 fodder and also milk yield increased ”Similarly, Mr. Charitar Mahato says that “this fodder (CFSH-30) is very good as it can be grown in off season and my buffalo came in heat earlier after feeding this fodder”. During the testing phase only a small proportion of farmers were involved, realising the need to sustain small scale dairy enterprises the scaling up of CFSH-30 needs to be promoted in a wider scale covering a large number of milk producers cooperatives with the provision of seed production at local level.

Acknowledge:
The CCO/Nepal for funding and technical support of AERC Canada in particular to Dr OP Dangi and Dr Rajendra Rana for their support and guidence during the projgram implementation by ABTRACO for the improvement of livelihoods of small dairy farmeres in Nepal.

Reference:
• AERC, 2005, http://www.aerc.forage sorghum.html
• DDC, 2005, http://www.dfairydev.com.np
• Pande, R S 2004. Ensuring forage supply from Nepal’s community forests. APANEWS, Asia-Pacific Agroforestry Newsletter No. 25. December 2004
• NPC, 2002. National Planning Commission, HMG/Nepal
• Pande, R. S. 1994: Livestock Feeds and Grassland Development in Nepal (Nepali), National Forage and Grassland Research Center G.P.O. Box 10245, Kathmandu, 1994.
• Pande, RS. 1997: Fodder and Pasture Development in Nepal. Udaya Research and Development Services Pvt. Ltd, Sanepa, Nepal.1997.
• Pande, RS 2005 “Pro-poor Community Forage Production Program in the NACRMLP, Nepal” Proceedings of the Workshop on Fodder Oats, TCP/NEP/2901, FAO 8-11 March 2005.