Fodder farmers secure in spite of fertiliser shortage

HYDERABAD: With farmers all over Sindh scrambling for fertiliser to save their standing crops, mainly wheat, mustard and vegetables, growers of common grasses like berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum or Egyptian Clover) and lusan (AlfaAlfa) remain secure as these crops do not need fertiliser for growth.

Additionally, these grasses contribute to maintaining the soil fertility. Reports from barrage areas showed that berseem, used as fodder for domestic animals during winter, is ready for harvesting. Demand for the grass increases in the cold weather because the prices of wheat straw and other dried grasses goes beyond the reach of poor farmers and herders, who usually have one or two animals for milk.

Small-scale livestock farmers prefer buying this nutritious grass for their animals, which prompts many farmers in different areas to grow this grass on a larger scale. One sees truckloads of berseem also moving towards urban markets during this season.

According to farmers, current price of the crop is Rs80,000-Rs100,000/acre. Farmers near urban centres earn more compared to those with fields further in the rural areas. Some growers sell the grass locally to livestock farmers throughout the season—five-six harvests.

This wintering fodder crop is usually cultivated with wheat and mustard during late September, October and November. It is a fast growing crop, and comes to the market after 60 days, mostly during mid-December, continuing till March-April, reports gathered from the farmers showed.

Farmers harvest a crop five-six times for their own animals as well as for selling in the market. In Hyderabad district, which mainly produces a variety of flowers, including gulab in the famous Hatri area, berseem is used for intercropping in rose gardens.

Majeed Mallah, a flower producer, sharing the importance of this green grass, said berseem benefits flower plants through its nutrients, which maintain soil fertility. “Not only flower gardens, fruit producers also prefer to cultivate this grass in mango orchards, and in jujube and other gardens to improve health of fruit plants as well as to get nutritious fodder for their animals,” Mallah said.

Though farmers traditionally preserve their own berseem seeds, it is easily available at Rs250-300/kg in the local market. The seed is cheap compared to other fodder grasses, he added. Muhammad Rahim Lakho, a small-scale farmer in Matiari district, said during the British raj the government had declared farmers excluded from paying irrigation tax for cultivating berseem, guar, pulses and mustards, which have natural capacity to improve soil fertility.

He said all other crops within the vicinity of a berseem crop could have higher yield. “It is highly nutritious for milking animals, and improves their productivity,” he added. Lakho said the old practice has been revived to promote cultivation of these grasses and crops via incentives, because of benefits for the land. “Berseem is cultivated across the province. Mostly livestock farmers mix chopped green grass with wheat straw to feed their animals to improve their productivity.”

He said previously, farmyard manure was utilised for cultivating crops. Urea and other fertilisers were not used for growing grasses, but now, some farmers use urea to improve yield. “Generally, these grasses do not need fertiliser due to their natural characteristics, which are beneficial for the soil as well,” Lakho explained.

Urban cattle markets as well as sacrificial animal entrepreneurs generate high demand for this nutritious grass. Berseem can also grow on saline land, where other crops cannot grow or survive, and therefore is also loved by coastal farmers. This crop is said to have a capacity to rehabilitate the saline land and improve its fertility.

Some people think lusan and berseem are similar because of their comparable feed value and cultivation season. But farmers consider berseem a fast growing grass with more benefits for the soil. Berseem can also be used as a green manure crop.

Farmers do not grow lusan as much as they used to in the past, when the population of horses, donkeys, and mules was much higher. These animals love lusan. With a decline in their population, the demand for lusan has also declined drastically.

Meanwhile, urea shortage this year has created a lot of uncertainty among leading farmers of the province. Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) has warned that the way fertiliser was being sold today, might lead to food security challenges going forward.

It is being said that there is no shortage of urea, despite that, the fertiliser is being sold at Rs2,800 to Rs3,000/bag instead of being sold at the set price Rs1,760/bag. The price of DAP has already increased from Rs5,000 to Rs8,300/bag, and it is made available to growers at Rs9,000 or above.

The growers’ body said that for rabi (winter) crops the growers were being fleeced of Rs6 to Rs8 billion and above the actual price. They called it a governance issue and asked the government to take urgent and appropriate action to bring back normalcy.