Government promotes hydroponic for growing fodder amid water scarcity

With increasing water scarcity due to frequent droughts and declining land availability for farming, government agencies are promoting hydroponic for growing fodder. Grown without soil and using minimal water and land, farmers are also turning to this technique as the fodder produced through hydroponics is more nutritional than the regular fodder.

According to Maharashtra's agriculture department, the state is facing a 74% shortage in green fodder. The short supply is 34% in dry fodder and 46% in animal feed.

Under the hydroponic system, seeds of maize, wheat and bajra are grown in trays stacked using a structure of bamboo or iron for 8 to 10 days. Each tray is watered using foggers every three hours, a method that reduces the water requirement of each tray to just 200-250 ml. The technique helps grow green fodder without soil in even very small pieces of land.