: Startup’s Low-Cost Hydroponic Innovation Can Solve India’s Acute Fodder Crisis #IndiaNEWS #Agriculture It was an unusually hot day in Didaga village in Hassan, Karnataka. Vishwa, a local farmer,

Startup’s Low-Cost Hydroponic Innovation Can Solve India’s Acute Fodder Crisis #IndiaNEWS #Agriculture
It was an unusually hot day in Didaga village in Hassan, Karnataka. Vishwa, a local farmer, was out in the sun milking his only buffalo. He stepped out with the milking bucket, expecting the usual less-than-one-bucket yield.
But to his astonishment, the bucket soon became filled up to the brim with milk. He asked his son to fetch another pail and within the next few minutes, it filled up with fresh milk. And another one after that!
Bewildered, Vishwa wondered the reason behind the welcome change. The answer was in front of his eyes — Kambala.
No, not the buffalo race in Karnataka, but a low-cost, sustainable innovation that grows high protein fodder through hydroponics. It was this highly nutritious fodder that helped increase the milk production for Vishwa’s buffalo.
Identifying India’s Overlooked Fodder Crisis
Designed by Bengaluru-based agritech startup Hydrogreens, Kambala is helping solve the acute fodder crisis across India. In a conversation with The Better India, founders Vasanth Kamath and Jeevan M explained how they aspire to empower more marginal farmers through their innovation in the coming days.
While working as a Director of Innovations at a popular retail chain, Vasanth, a Civil Engineer, learnt about the fodder shortage problem in India. “One of our suppliers, a woman farmer from a remote village, was complaining about the fodder shortage in her farm. However, soon I found out that she had managed to avert the problem by herself, using some hack from YouTube. ???
“Upon a little in-depth survey, I realised that the problem is relevant to hundreds of farmers across India, and all of them are eager to solve the crisis at minimal expense,??? shares Vasanth.
An avid enthusiast of agriculture, Vasanth decided to explore the domain further and contribute to a sustainable solution. He quit his job and set out on a countrywide journey to observe the on-ground situation.
The Kambala set up
For two years, Vasanth interacted with small and marginal dairy farmers and landholders in Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Odisha. He noted the constraints farmers face like altering climate, recurring droughts and the consequent economic turmoil at the grassroots level.
India reportedly suffers nearly 29 per cent deficit in cattle feed, including 11. 24 per cent in the availability of fresh green fodder. This, in turn, amounts to a loss in milk production from anything between 20 to 60 per cent than the global average.
“In fact, the government has issued several advisories and came up with projects like fodder banks in the past few years, after the drought scenario intensified.

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