downtoearth-subscribe

Vanishing green

Vanishing green india has about 450 million livestock and only 10 million hectares (ha) of pastureland. This has resulted in overgrazing as well as pressure on forest lands for grazing. "The farmer breeds more cattle as a cash-reserve. But due to the unavailability of fodder or grain, farmers let their cattle graze wherever possible,' says N S Ramaswamy, director, Centre for Action, Research & Technology for Man, Animal, Nature ( cartman ), Bangalore. But the pressure on lands cannot be alleviated without ensuring adequate grain and green fodder for livestock (See cover story

Related Content