By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, April 15, 2017 : Odisha government on Saturday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, to enhance nutritional management in livestock farming.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was present during the MoU singing ceremony here. ,

Under state plan, this initiative on “Feed and Fodder Production in Different Agro Climatic Zones and its Utilisation for Livestock of Odisha” with a project cost of Rs 18.1 crore will be implemented in three years by ILRI and Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (DAH & VS), Government of Odisha.

This project will work towards feed and fodder mapping in the state for livestock development, besides creating a network of cooperative societies which will help farmers in a big way to adopt appropriate feeding practice to manage their livestock.

This will assist to enhance feed and fodder production in the state and increase the efficiency in utilization.

As per the agreement, ILRI will play the central role in improving the production of quality feed and fodder along with introducing the latest feeding technology through training and demonstration for specific small-scale livestock farming system.

This particular feeding technology will be scaled up through private sector.

Through this project, a comprehensive situation analysis on feed and fodder availability in the state as well as an agro-climatic zone-wise resource mapping and nutrition analysis will be taken up.

It will also suggest feeding pattern for different livestock based on particular cropping pattern and agro-climatic zone.

ILRI will provide technical support to the DAH & VS Odisha, Cuttack to form 45 fodder cooperative societies and involve 120 progressive farmers to develop fodder nursery. Similarly, farmers will be motivated to grow superior dual purpose crops for boosting the fodder availability as well as the grain.

A platform will also be created to share the knowledge on fodder production and the best feeding technology in the state by different stakeholders.