Banswara, India

One person can operate a fodder chopping machine.

Animal health clinics
These clinics are held twice a year, before and after the monsoon. They are organised in collaboration with the Village Development Committees (VDC) in each of the 11 villages participating in the project.

The pre-monsoon clinic is primarily for animal vaccinations, while the second round includes treatment of minor diseases that start after the rainy period.
Government livestock officers treat approximately 200 cattle from each village in each clinic, at a charge of approximately seven cents per beast. The officers use the opportunity to train two members from each VDC in recognising and treating animal diseases. At the completion of training, the VDC members return to their villages and share their learnings with other farmers.

These interventions have seen a significant reduction in animal mortality in these 11 villages. A further positive result has been the relationship built with the Government veterinary services, which is important for future access to the services once the project has been completed.

Cattle troughs
Usually animals are tied in the shade of a tree during the day and fodder is put on the ground for them to eat. However, this leads to contamination as the animals soil it. A large amount of fodder is wasted and, if left on the ground, becomes a breeding place for mosquitoes. Cleaning up the waste is time-consuming, and a job that normally falls to women.

More than 180 cattle troughs will be built before July 2003, reducing the wastage of cattle fodder and freeing women from yet another task. VDCs are responsible for choosing the families that will benefit from the 1.2m x 0.6m troughs. World Vision provides the stone slabs and bricks for building the troughs, and the community donates their labour.

Fodder choppers
Traditionally, farmers feed their cattle green and dry grass, crop residue and farm plants. It is placed in front of the animals, without cutting it into an appropriate size. As a result, the animals only eat part of the fodder and waste the rest.

Seventy fodder chopping machines have been purchased to cut cattle fodder into 2-3cm pieces that cows can easily chew and digest. This allows their metabolic system to absorb the optimum nutrition from the fodder and also reduces waste.

The machines are simple in construction and can be operated manually by one or two men. Each machine is located in a central position where eight to 12 families can use it.

The families involved have contributed to building a shed and concrete platform for each machine and have learnt how to repair and maintain the machines.
Initially the project budgeted for only 40 of the machines, however the price of the machines reduced and the project was able to afford an extra 30 units.

Fodder preservation
Approximately 80 farmers from 11 villages will learn how to make silage. The farmers will then share their knowledge with up to 200 others within their community. Monthly VDC meetings will be another opportunity to share information about this process.

The preservation method involves placing green fodder in a pit and mixing layers of it with sugar and salt. The top is then covered with plastic sheeting, which keeps the fodder green and also renders it sweet so that animals will readily eat it.

Correct fodder preservation will enable farmers to feed their animals well no matter what the season, ensuring a consistent milk supply. As milk is a major source of nutrition in this community, an increase in production has a direct bearing on family health and income.