Better feed for cows from sale of dung manure from govt gaushalas

PRESENTLY, CATTLE, KEPT IN THE GAUSHALAS, ARE GIVEN ONLY STRAW DUE TO WHICH MOST OF THE CATTLE ARE MALNOURISHED.

In a bid to help the authorities meet the expenses incurred in providing proper food to cows kept in various government-run shelters in the district, the animal husbandry department has decided to talk to forest department officials for supplying cow dung manure generated at the gaushalas here.

Officials of both the departments will sit together to reach a mutually agreed price for the supply of organic manure which would fulfil the needs of the forest department.

Officials aware of the development say the 123 cow shelters of the district produce huge quantity of cow dung and many of these shelters also produce quality manure from the stocked cow dung through natural process.

However, as there is no proper system in place to market the ready high-quality manure, many a times the same is given to local farmers either for free or at negligible price.

“We welcome the muchneeded manure from the gaushalas but before arriving at the final cost, we would have to see for the moisture content, quality of the manure. Whether it is old or new as old manure with right quantity of moisture is highly sought by us,” said divisional forest officer YP Shukla.

Presently, cattle, kept in the gaushalas, are given only straw due to which most of the cattle are malnourished.

But following this initiative, the bovine living in the cowsheds could also be given green fodder along with the straw.

There are more than 10,000 cows in the 123 gaushalas from which sufficient dung manure is being prepared. Apart from the forest department, talks are also on the cards with the agriculture department.