Drought, fodder crisis push Latur farmers to harvest sugarcane for cattle feed

Latur district in Maharashtra's Marathwada region is reeling from a severe drought, pushing farmers to make a heartbreaking decision: harvesting their sugarcane crops to feed their cattle. As poor rainfall has dried up grazing lands and green fodder reserves, cattle owners are left with a stark choice between financial loss and the survival of their animals.

The Maharashtra government has declared a drought in 74% of the state's talukas, offering relief measures such as crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.

Narayan Gude, a farmer from Kavha village, now faces drastic milk yields from his herd dropping to just 10 to 12 liters daily. To feed his seven buffaloes, two cows, and calves, Gude says he has no choice but to harvest his standing sugarcane crops, using nearly half a tonne every day. The lack of rainfall has also devastated other crops, with soybean yields expected to fall below half a quintal per acre.

Gude has resorted to using chopped sugarcane mixed with soybean residue as fodder, pleading with the state government to establish official fodder camps in the region.

For Marathwada's farmers, livestock serves as a crucial financial buffer during lean crop cycles. However, the combination of inadequate nutrition and water scarcity is crippling milk production, forcing cultivators to lose both their primary agricultural investment and their daily supplementary income.