Mumbai, In a move to combat fodder scarcity amid drought, the Maharashtra government has earmarked five per cent of district annual plan funds for fodder schemes while restricting non-feed usage and supply to neighbouring states.
The government had also constituted a state-level task force under the chief secretary to coordinate water conservation efforts amid the possibility of El Niño impact. The state government has declared drought in 304 tehsils where Trigger-1 and Trigger-2 were activated during the 2026 Kharif season.
The measures follow recommendations by a study group set up under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary to suggest steps to tackle fodder shortages arising from inadequate rainfall. The Cabinet sub-committee on drought management accepted the group’s report at its recent meeting. The government has proposed using agricultural university land, seed multiplication centres, agricultural corporation land and farms under the Animal Husbandry Department for fodder cultivation. To ensure transparency, the government will develop a state-level ‘Chara Chawani Monitoring and Management System’ to track demand, availability, cattle camp operations, livestock records, daily attendance, veterinary services, and expenditure. District-level drought management committees will be restructured, with the guardian minister heading the review committee and the district collector leading an executive committee to oversee implementation.
A government resolution issued by the Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department on Friday has directed district collectors to set up fodder banks, impose price ceilings on dry fodder, and introduce biometric tracking at cattle camps.
