📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Danial Chitnis from London, UK
Agriculture
Maharashtra allocates 5% of district budgets to fodder schemes amid severe drought
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 31 Oct 2026, 01:41 PM
👁 16
The state government announced that 5% of each district’s funds will be earmarked for fodder production to support livestock as drought conditions worsen.
Maharashtra’s agriculture department said on Tuesday that the state will set aside five percent of the total budget of every district for dedicated fodder schemes. The decision comes as the region grapples with an extended drought that has left large swathes of farmland parched and livestock under severe stress.
Under the new directive, district authorities will channel the earmarked funds into the cultivation of high‑yield fodder crops, procurement of feed, and establishment of storage facilities. Officials expect the measures to boost the availability of nutritious feed for cattle, goats and buffaloes, thereby mitigating the economic impact on farmers who depend on animal husbandry.
The state government has instructed the district collectors to prepare implementation plans within the next two weeks and submit them to the state agriculture ministry for approval. The ministry will monitor progress and release the allocated resources in phased installments to ensure timely execution.
The fodder initiative is part of a broader drought‑relief package that also includes water‑conservation projects and financial assistance to affected farmers, aiming to stabilise the rural economy during the ongoing water crisis.
Under the new directive, district authorities will channel the earmarked funds into the cultivation of high‑yield fodder crops, procurement of feed, and establishment of storage facilities. Officials expect the measures to boost the availability of nutritious feed for cattle, goats and buffaloes, thereby mitigating the economic impact on farmers who depend on animal husbandry.
The state government has instructed the district collectors to prepare implementation plans within the next two weeks and submit them to the state agriculture ministry for approval. The ministry will monitor progress and release the allocated resources in phased installments to ensure timely execution.
The fodder initiative is part of a broader drought‑relief package that also includes water‑conservation projects and financial assistance to affected farmers, aiming to stabilise the rural economy during the ongoing water crisis.