The main bane of dairy farming in India is - if a New Zealand dairy development specialist's opinion is anything worth taking note of - its over-dependence on concentrated feeds rather than making use of the nation's huge green fodder advantage.

India definitely has an edge over New Zealand and European countries as far as green fodder for cattle is concerned. Shane Whittaker, a dairy herd development specialist engaged by a Chennai-based company, told mediapersons that in New Zealand the animals are fed mostly on rye grass and white clover mix and 95 per cent farmers do not give any concentrates.

An average New Zealand cow consumes around 130 kg fodder every day, of which 15 per cent (20 kg) represents the dry matter, from where energy is derived. In contrast, farmers in India feed just 25 kg of fodder, which gives a higher 20 per cent (5 kg) dry matter.

In India, farmers believe that cattle cannot eat more and, therefore, require more concentrates. According to the expert, this is not true because New Zealand has demonstrated that cows can easily be fed 40 kg fodder and, when dry (ie, not giving milk), they don't need any concentrates.

Another point is the advantage India has in year-round cultivation of fodder. In New Zealand, farmers get some 7,200 kg of dry matter annually per acre, with daily yields ranging from 0-8 kg in winter to 40-50 kg in spring and early summer. In India, not only are overall yields higher (26-28,000 kg), but there is no marked seasonality, with daily production amounting to 250 kg in winter and 480 kg in summer.

Farmers in Tamil Nadu normally get 120-130 tonnes of 'Co3' fodder per acre across eight harvests every 45 days. They can easily raise this to 150 tonnes (30 tonnes dry matter). If this is combined with the use of brush-cutters for harvesting and rain-guns (to increase irrigation efficiency), the cost of 'Co3' fodder can come down from 50 paise to Rs 10-15 paise a kg.