Braja Swain and Nils Teufel, ILRI

Dissemination of ILRI-CSISA concentrate feed:

A study of Samastipur and Muzaffarpur

Brainstorming Session on Improving Dairy Animals Productivity through efficient Feed and Fodder Interventions

in Bihar, Patna, India, 25 July 2014

Background Livestock sector is an integral part of the socio-economic development of

the Indian as well as Bihar economy as whole. Small-holder producers have found it difficult to transform their livestock

production from a subsistence-oriented side activity to a profitable commercial venture.

Feed alone accounts more than 60% of the total management cost of dairy animals.

From 2011 ILRI has been promoting the balanced concentrate feed to improve the milk yield

Two blocks (Samastipur and Muzafarpur) were selected.400 hundred farmers participated in ILRI-CSISA feeding trials or trainings Frequent trainings and demonstrations have been conducted in two

blocks.20 dairy farmers were trained at NDRI, Karnal to act as Local Resource

Persons (LRP).

Objectives

Identify the farmers adopting and not adopting ILRI-CSISA concentrate feed.

Identify the non-trial/training farmers who have heard about ILRI-CSISA feed and their sources of information.

Farmers responses towards ILRI-CSISA feed

Data and Methods•Two blocks•Samastipur•Muzafarpur

•Total 360 HHs•Participants (Trial/training): -160•Non-participants : - 200

•Stratified random sampling•Simple tabulation

Results: Adoption of ILRI-CSISA promoted feed and sources

Indicators Participants Non-participants

Number 160 200

Number of farmers Knows about ILRI-CSISA promoted feed

160 55

Number of farmers continuing 30 11

Sources of information of ILRI-CSISA promoted feed by informed non-participants

Heard from neighbours 53

Heard from relatives 3

Heard from local services 0

Heard from ILRI-CSISA field guy 10

Heard from SHG 2

Dissemination of ILRI-CSISA promoted feed technologies to other farmers [no. of farmers reached]

Technologies Within village Outside village Total

Nutritional requirements 213 109 322

Chopping straw 25 17 42

Feeding wheat bhusa 72 28 100

Feeding maize stover 10 5 15

About ILRI-CSISA feed 846 460 1306

How to preparing ILRI-CSISA feed 704 456 1160

Reasons for adopting and not adopting ILRI_CSISA promoted feed

Reasons for adopting ILRI-CSISA promoted Tech.

% farmers out of adopters

Reason for not adopting ILRI-CSISA promoted Tech.

% farmers out of informed non-

adopters

Low cost technology 27 High cost technology 60

Easy to follow 39 Difficult to prepare 51

Can prepared local available resource

83 Resources not available locally

27

Increase milk yield 93 No change in milk yield

21

Improved animal health 98 No change in animal health

17

Low labour requirement 29 High requirement of labour

44

Market availability (timely availability) across participant and non-participant farmers [% farmers]

Participants (n=160)

Non-participants(n=200)

Total(n=360)

Green fodder 67 (63) 80 (60.2) 75 (61)

Brans 96 (96) 91 (90) 93 (95)

Oils cakes 97 (97) 91 (96) 94 (97)

Compound feed 99 (97) 95 (97) 97 (97)

Mineral mixture 95 (94) 90 (94) 93 (94)

Veterinary Service 98 (98) 94 (97) 96 (98)

Credit 96 (81) 93 (79) 94 (80)

Formal Dairy Market 98 (98) 94 (98) 96 (98)

Informal Dairy Market

56 (81) 49 (88) 52 (85)

Farmer’s knowledge before and after intervention

Subjects Participants Non-participants Total

Before int-vention

After inter-vention

Before int-vention

After inter-vention

Before int-vention

After inter-vention

breedingAverage Improved Poor Improved Average Improved

feed management Average No change Average No change Average No change

nutrition needs for cattle Average No change Average Improved Poor Improved

maize Stover feeding Average No change Average No change Average No change

wheat straw feeding Average No change Average No change Average No change

detect quality of dry fodder Average No change Average No change Average No change

growing green fodder Average Improved Poor Improved Average Improved

feeding oil cakes Average Improved Average No change Average Improved

feeding balanced feed Average Improved Average Improved Average Improved

preparing balanced feed Poor Improved Poor Improved Poor Improved

feeding mineral mixturePoor Improved Poor Improved Poor Improved

how to increase milk yield Average Improved Poor Improved Average Improved

deworming/vaccination Average Improved Poor Improved Average Improved

treat common diseases Average No change Poor No change Average No change

Conclusion 20% of participants farmers are feeding the ILRI-CSISA

promoted feed while only 6% non-participants feeding this.Out of non-participants sample farmers 28% farmers have

heard about ILRI-CSISA promoted feed Neighbours are main source of dissemination of technology

followed by project field staffParticipant farmers have shared the information on how to

prepare the ILRI-CSISA promoted feed among more than 1200 farmers.

Knowledge on concentrate feed has improved after intervention

Nevertheless, awareness of and training on balanced feeds among farmers should be further improved to increase adoption