fieldtrip

=TechFit Field trips=

Group 1: Sorna village is situated in the Shivalik (plain area, 300masl) area of Dehradun district, Uttarakhand. It is around 50 km (1.5 hrs road journey) from district head quarter Dehradun. The village is situated in the peri-urban area, having good infrastructure and marketing facilities. Farmers generally keep high producing dairy cattle, and most of the farmers are engaged in selling of milk to the nearby market individually or collectively through milk Cooperative. Average health status of dairy animal is good because of assess to veterinary health care services. Most of the farmers have improved breed as Artificial Insemination is common in the village. Stall-feeding of animals is common in village. Farmers generally feed paddy and wheat straws to their cattle. Almost every family grows forage crops, fodder grasses on their private land to meet-out green fodder availability. In addition,feeding of balanced feeds (pellets), compact feed block is common in the village. Overall, there is no fodder scarcity in the village.This area has high level of market integration, mainly vendor system. Here the team can interact with 4-5 farmers and officials from Uttarakhand Livestock Development Board and Animal Husbandry Department.

Group 2: Nanbagh village / area is situated in the mid-hill (around 1500 masl) region in Tehri district, Uttarakhand. It is situated at a distance of around 75 km (2 and half Hrs) from Dehradun. Village people are generally dependent on subsistence agriculture. Every family keeps at least a cow or buffalo for meeting milk requirements, compost for agricultural lands and agricultural works. Most of the livestock are of local breed, having low milk production. Overall, animal health and breeding services are very poor because of low availability of fundamental infrastructure. Villagers generally graze their non-milch cattle on community wastelands and feed mainly natural grass, agriculture residues to their milch animals. In addition use of tree leaves as fodder is common in the area. This area faces acute shortage of green fodder during winter and summer season. Feeding of cattle feed is not in practice in the area. Some of the poor families also rear goats for meat purpose-self consumption or for sale. Goats are entirely dependent on free grazing on common land. Farmers sell surplus milk marketed locally in the village both directly as well as through community managed dairy units promoted by Himmotthan. The group can interact with 4-5 farmers and Garhwal Vikas Kendra (GVK) a NGO supported by Himmotthan. **Notes by Nils Teufel**

Group 3: Tathyur village/ area is situated in the mid-hill (around 1500 masl) region in Tehri district, Uttarakhand around 80km from Dehradun. Livestock is an integral part of farming system and it is one of major source of livelihoods in terms meeting milk requirements, compost for agricultural lands and agriculture operations. However, livestock rearing practices are significantly inhibited by an acute fodder shortage of fodder (it is >50% shortage). People generally graze their animals in common lands and only milch-animals are fed with natural grasses and agriculture residues. People generally protect their private and common wastelands for grass production during monsoon season, which is then used during winter and summer season in the form of hay. Due to cultivation of cash crops such as potato has also decreases fodder availability in the area. Some of the families market surplus milk in the nearby bigger town like Mussoorie. The group can interact with 4-5 farmers and Garhwal Vikas Kendra (GVK) a NGO supported by Himmotthan