The district administration has planned to open four centres to supply hay at subsidised price to farmers, said a release. It had planned the centres at the verterinary clinics in Sulur, Sultanpet, Madukkarai and Kinathukadavu, where the Animal Husbandry Department will supply the hay at Rs. 2 a kg.
The State Government has allocated Rs. 40 lakh to the Coimbatore district administration for the purpose, the release said and added that for the entire State it was Rs. 12.50 crore. The move was aimed at providing fodder to farmers with cattle as they were contemplating selling cattle due to shortage of fodder or hay across the State.
And the fodder/hay shortage was due to the poor monsoon, the impact of which was that the area under fodder cultivation had come down and so was the size of the grazing lands.
The release said that the Department would give hay at three kg an animal a day for a maximum of five animals a farmer for two to three months.
Farmers should apply for the same with their ration card and two passport-size photographs.
The farmers could buy the hay/fodder once a week.
Once they furnished the details, the Department would give identity cards to the farmers to help them buy hay.
The release also said that farmers who could sell hay were also welcome to apply for selling hay. They could also send in details for supply hay in stacks of three kg each to the Department.
For additional information they could get in touch with the Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Department, Union School Road, Coimbatore.
