Stating that the existing fodder stock in Udupi district will last for the next 42 weeks, Udupi Deputy Commissioner T. K. Swaroopa said on Saturday that a deficit in the southwest monsoon may lead to a fodder shortage in the district in the coming days. She said officials concerned should take immediate steps to ensure the cultivation of fodder varieties suited to both short-term and long-term needs.

She was speaking while presiding over the District Level Fodder Development Task Force Committee meeting and the District Animal Welfare Association Executive Committee meeting in her office.

Ms. Swaroopa said the district may face drought-like conditions in the coming days. The quantity of fodder in Byndoor taluk is lower than in other taluks. As Kundapur taluk has a larger cattle population, demand for fodder is likely to be higher there. She asked officials to take immediate steps to prevent a fodder shortage.

The deputy commissioner said that according to the latest livestock census, the district has 1,96,905 cattle and 3,178 sheep and goats. If any taluks are declared drought-hit in the coming days, free fodder kits should be distributed to small and marginal farmers and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe farmers.

The Karnataka Milk Federation had distributed 22,670 kg of hybrid corn with subsidy, 3,778 mini fodder kits and 3,991.57 tonnes of fodder last year.

She said the concerned department should make farmers aware of the distribution of fodder cutting machines at subsidised rates and take steps to ensure that more farmers take advantage of them.

The Deputy Commissioner said Agriculture and Horticulture departments should identify fallow land along the edges of social forest areas and reserved forests and take steps to grow fodder according to the availability of water and provide it to farmers.

She asked for the development projects taken up at Kerebettu in Hebri taluk to be completed at the earliest.

Published - August 02, 2026 07:13 pm IST