Challenges and opportunities of high-yielding fodder production in coastal Bangladesh Manik Debnath1, Sharif Ahmed1, Abdul Haque1, Nasrin Sultana2, and Humnath Bhandari1 Author affiliation 1International Rice Research Institute and 2Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute Published by International Rice Research Institute December, 2025 The Sustainable Farming science program will address key challenges in agri-food systems by fostering efficient production of nutritious foods and safeguarding the environment to create fair employment opportunities, as we simultaneously tackle climate change, soil degradation, pests, diseases, and desertification. The program's goals include mitigating the effects of climate change and other shocks, reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture, and generating impact for five million farmers by introducing innovative solutions across two million hectares of land. Additionally, the program aims to minimize farm-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 15%. Activities will be implemented in thirty-four focus countries Bangladesh, Benin, Burundi, Cambodia, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe. https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/sustainable-farming/ Contents Abbreviations and acronyms .................................................................................................... iv Background ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Challenges of high-yielding fodder production in coastal Bangladesh...................... 3 Environmental and climatic challenges ................................................................................................. 3 Land and resource challenges ...................................................................................................................... 3 Socio-economic challenges ........................................................................................................................... 4 Opportunities of high-yielding fodder production in coastal Bangladesh ................ 5 Economic and Livelihood Improvement ................................................................................................ 5 Addressing the Feed Crisis and Land Scarcity .................................................................................... 5 Climate Resilience and Sustainable Farming .....................................................................................6 IRRI and BLRI initiative on Improved Fodder production in Coastal Bangladesh.. 7 Achievement in the Patuakhali region in 2025 ................................................................... 8 Raised bed technique for improved fodder cultivation in the coastal region ......... 9 iv Abbreviations and acronyms BLB Bacterial Leaf Blight GDP Gross Domestic Product MFS Mixed Farming Systems SI-MFS Sustainable Intensification of Mixed Farming Systems Initiative BLRI Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute DLS Department of Livestock Services FFD Farmers’ Field Day HYV High Yielding Variety LSP Local Service Providers IRRI International Rice Research Institute N Nitrogen P Phosphorus SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SF Sustainable Farming 1 Background The livestock production sector plays a crucial role in ensuring nutrition security in Bangladesh. It provides high-quality animal protein, including meat, milk, and eggs, which helps combat malnutrition and generates income for impoverished rural households. By improving access to animal-source foods through small-scale, household-level farming, livestock enhances the dietary intake of essential micronutrients, particularly for vulnerable groups such as young children and pregnant women. Additionally, livestock contributes to agricultural productivity by offering manure, which further supports food security. Livestock is directly or indirectly linked to all 17 SDGs and faces many challenges to achieve sustainability while responding to a significant increase in demand for animal products. In 2025, the livestock sector's contribution to Bangladesh's GDP is approximately 1.81%. This sub-sector has a growth rate of 3.19% and accounts for 16.54% of the total agricultural GDP. The sector also provides direct employment to around 20% of the population, with an additional 50% partially engaged. During 2024-25, the total Livestock Population in Bangladesh was 57.97 M (Cattle: 25.17 M, Buffalo: 1.53 M, Sheep: 3.98 M, Goat: 27.29 M). GDP Volume was 91,036 crore Taka. Demand for milk was 162.33 lakh metric tons (250 ml/day/head) and production was 155.38 lakh metric tons. Demand for meat was 77.92 lakh metric tons (120 gm/day/head), and production was 89.54 lakh metric tons. (Source: BBS 2024- 25). Raising livestock is a better livelihood option for households in coastal areas. Cattle, goats, and sheep are major sources of family income, nutrition, food security, and social status. Although the livestock population in the region is relatively high, productivity remains low due to poor health caused by a lack of green fodder and disease. Feed and fodder are agricultural terms that refer to animal feed, while fodder crops are plants grown specifically for livestock. Fodder plays a crucial role in maintaining animal health, boosting productivity, and ensuring food security. In Bangladesh, the demand for high-quality fodder is increasing due to the growing livestock population, a shortage of grazing land, and the need for more profitable farming practices. Providing high-quality fodder leads to better milk and meat production, enhances animal immunity, and can reduce costs for farmers by lowering their dependence on expensive imported feeds. This rising demand is also creating income-generating opportunities in fodder cultivation. The production of fodder is gaining momentum, yet the country still faces significant deficits: over 40% in dry matter, 65% in crude protein, and 60% in metabolizable energy. The recent growth rate in livestock is not keeping pace with the demand for feed and fodder. The development of livestock relies heavily on improving animal nutrition through better feeding practices and increased availability of fodder. 2 Currently, about 90% of the cattle feed supply consists of poor-quality roughage, primarily rice straw, along with a small amount of green grass and minimal concentrate. Rice straw is lacking in readily fermentable carbohydrates, protein, minerals, and vitamins. Consequently, animals that rely solely on rice straw exhibit low growth rates in both milk and meat production, achieving only about 10% of their genetic potential. To address this issue, it is often recommended to supplement a straw-based diet with a sufficient amount of green grass to meet the nutritional needs of the animals. Livestock are vital in Bangladesh's coastal areas, providing a key source of nutrition and income, particularly as the region is vulnerable to climate-related risks that affect crop production. They offer a diversified livelihood through meat, milk, and eggs, create jobs, and provide organic manure for farming, especially during the lean agricultural season. The importance of livestock is underscored by the fact that a significant portion of the land in the coastal zone is affected by salinity, making it unsuitable for some crop farming, and that many farmers lack the resources to grow fodder. Salinity issues significantly hinder both agricultural and economic development in the coastal belt of Bangladesh. The saline environment adversely affects crop production throughout the year, as the organic matter content of the coastal soils is low, ranging from 1.0% to 1.5%. Furthermore, nutrient deficiencies, particularly of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), are common in saline soils. Consequently, the decline in food crop production in this region has a substantial impact on the national economy of Bangladesh. In addition, increased salinity leads to a shortage of grazing land and fodder crops for livestock, forcing communities to seek alternative natural resources to compensate for the protein deficiency that arises from reduced livestock production. Research studies have documented a noticeable shortage of milk and cattle in the coastal areas as a result of these challenges. Coastal areas of Bangladesh face a severe shortage of improved fodder, driven by salinity intrusion, limited arable land, and a lack of awareness and investment in fodder cultivation. This shortage threatens livestock health and productivity, impacting livelihoods in the region. Fodder cultivation is constrained by land scarcity and high soil salinity, with farmers primarily focusing on food crops. Though livestock rearing is important, it struggles due to insufficient fodder land and seasonal salinity spikes. Efforts are underway to implement climate-smart agricultural practices, such as using salinity-resistant varieties. Most farmers rely on dry rice straw as the main feed, while a lack of grazing land exacerbates the feed crisis, particularly during the dry season. 3 Challenges of high-yielding fodder production in coastal Bangladesh Several challenges hinder the fodder production in coastal Bangladesh. The main challenges are as follows: Environmental and climatic challenges • Soil salinity: A major constraint, especially during the dry season when salinity levels increase, reduces fodder crop biomass and can cause total crop failure. Over 30% of Bangladesh's land, much of it coastal, is affected by varying degrees of salinity. • Climate change: This leads to unpredictable rainfall, higher temperatures, droughts, and natural disasters like cyclones and storm surges, which negatively impact agricultural production, including fodder. Except German, no high- yielding fodder variety can tolerate waterlogging conditions. Drought also reduces fodder growth and can cause total damage in some cases. • Low soil fertility: Saline soils in coastal areas often have low organic matter and deficiencies in essential nutrients like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Thus, the growth of fodder is hampered, and many farmers become demotivated to cultivate fodder. Land and resource challenges • Limited land: There is insufficient high land suitable for fodder production, as most arable land is dedicated to crop production. • Competition with crops: Due to continuous changes in cropping pattern & HYV rice production, the scope to produce fodder is getting scarce day by day. • Lack of technology: There is a scarcity of fodder production technologies that are specifically adapted to the coastal ecosystem. Photo 1: Waterlogging condition caused by heavy rainfall damaged the fodder field at Kalapara, Patuakhali. Photo Credit: Manik Debnath, IRRI 4 • Lack of fodder cutting/planting material: The lack of high-quality fodder germplasm, including the unavailability of cuttings for popular varieties, is a significant problem. • Lack of suitable cultivar: At present, salinity, waterlogging, and drought tolerant varieties are unavailable. These varieties are much needed for coastal areas of Bangladesh. • Lack of dry-season irrigation facilities: The lack of irrigation in coastal areas of Bangladesh during the dry season is primarily caused by soil salinity, insufficient surface water, and limited access to freshwater sources. Saline water intrusion from the sea, rising sea levels, and reduced freshwater flow from upland areas render surface water unsuitable for irrigation. Socio-economic challenges • Limited farmer interest: Some farmers are not prioritizing fodder cultivation due to a lack of land and focus on food production, contributing to a fodder shortage problem. Many farmers are not aware about benefit of fodder production and cultivation practice. • Intensity of pest: There are several insect infestations like borer, leaf feeder and disease infection like BLB, blast, stem rot are found in the fodder field. During wet season there is also heavy weed (unwanted natural grass) which reduces the growth and tiller formation of fodder. Photo 2: Picture: Weed infestation reduced fodder growth & development at Amtali, Barguna. Photo Credit: Md Rabiul Islam, IRRI 5 Opportunities of high-yielding fodder production in coastal Bangladesh To fully realize these opportunities, interventions are required to bridge the gap between research and practice. This includes promoting awareness and providing training to farmers on high-yielding varieties and production technologies, establishing fodder seed multiplication farms, and encouraging community-based cultivation approaches. Technical support and financial access are also critical. Fodder cultivation in the coastal areas of Bangladesh presents significant opportunities to address the acute feed crisis for livestock, improve household income, and enhance regional food security. The primary opportunities include: Economic and Livelihood Improvement • Increased Income: The availability of high-yielding fodder leads to improved livestock health and productivity (milk and meat production), which in turn directly increases the income of smallholder farmers. • Poverty Alleviation: For many farmers who rely on livestock for their livelihood, maximizing production potential through improved fodder is a vital step in alleviating poverty. • Reduced Costs: By increasing high-yielding fodder production, farmers can reduce their reliance on expensive imported or commercial feeds, thereby lowering overall production costs and increasing profit margins. • Employment Generation: Improved fodder production and marketing can become an important new livelihood activity and source of employment, as seen in other districts of Bangladesh. Fodder cutting nursery entrepreneur and chopper machine service can create employment opportunities. Addressing the Feed Crisis and Land Scarcity • Utilizing Marginal Lands: Fodder can be cultivated on pond embankments, raised beds, roadsides, and other marginal or fallow lands that might not be suitable for traditional food crops, or are only used for part of the year due to salinity or waterlogging. • Climate change stress tolerant cultivars: Development of stress (salinity, drought, water logging) tolerant improved fodder cultivars can maximize the fodder cultivation and livestock development in the coastal region. • Year-Round Availability: Cultivating high-yielding fodder varieties helps address the acute seasonal shortage of green grass, especially during the dry 6 and winter seasons when rice straw is the main, but insufficient, feed source for livestock. Climate Resilience and Sustainable Farming • Climate Change Adaptation: Irrigated fodder production is a key mitigation strategy to ensure feed supply during droughts, dry season or after natural disasters like cyclones, helping to build a more resilient agricultural system. • Integrated Farming Systems: Fodder cultivation can be part of integrated homestead-based farming systems that include vegetables, fruits, fish, and poultry, enhancing overall food security and sustainability. • Improved Soil Health: Fodder included cropping systems have the potential to improve soil health, reduce nutrient loss, and enhance the sustainability of the overall farming system. Photo 3: Picture: Some Zara and Smart Napier fodder demonstration and nursery at Kalapara, Patuakhali & Amtali, Barguna. Photo Credit: Manik Debnath & Md Rabiul Islam, IRRI 7 IRRI and BLRI initiative on Improved Fodder production in Coastal Bangladesh Improving fodder cultivation for better livestock management is a key innovation of the Mixed Farming Systems (MFS) and Sustainable Farming (SF) programs in Bangladesh. These programs have identified several challenges associated with high-yielding fodder production in the coastal areas. To address these challenges and explore potential opportunities, the Mixed Farming Systems (MFS) and SF programs have prioritized the cultivation of high-yielding fodder crops. This initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) in the southern coastal regions of Bangladesh. With the partnership of the BLRI and the Department of Livestock Services (DLS), the Sustainable Farming Program (SFP) has been doing the following activities: ➢ To identify suitable fodder cultivation land and optimum planting time for coastal areas. ➢ To identify the mitigation measures for coping with climate change effects. ➢ To evaluate the performance of different improved fodder varieties in the working areas. ➢ To introduce and demonstrate improved fodder varieties in the working areas. ➢ To provide training on fodder production and feed management ➢ Develop chopper machine entrepreneurship. ➢ Develop fodder cutting nursery entrepreneurship. ➢ To link the farmers with different entrepreneurs and DLS. Photo 4: Fodder cutting distribution in collaboration with BLRI at Kalapara, Patuakhali. Photo Credit: Md Rabiul Islam, IRRI 8 Achievement in the Patuakhali region in 2025 ➢ 50,000 improved fodder cuttings (Zara) were distributed for the establishment of 10 fodder nurseries/entrepreneurs. ➢ Follow-up of previously established 54 fodder demonstrations with around 60,000 cuttings. ➢ Regular follow-up of previously trained 520 farmers on livestock feed management with the chopper machine, with the technical assistance of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI). ➢ One FFD (Farmers’ Field Day) was conducted in collaboration with DLS at the demonstration site. ➢ Follow-up and periodic data collected from previously established trial with 05 improved fodder varieties (Zara, Pakchong, Red Pakchong, Napier-3 & Smart Napier) for performance evaluation. ➢ Regular monitoring of previously distributed 13 Mini chopper machines to 13 female local Service providers (LSP) for cattle feed management. ➢ Motivational field activities with farmers for scaling improved fodder Photo 5: Chopper machine LSP at Amtali, Barguna. Photo Credit: Manik Debnath, IRRI Photo 6: Farmers’ Field Day (FFD) in collaboration with DLS at Kalapara, Patuakhali. Photo Credit: Md Rabiul Islam 9 Raised bed technique for improved fodder cultivation in the coastal region Raised beds are important for fodder cultivation in coastal Bangladesh because they protect fodder from salinity, flooding, and waterlogging, while improving soil moisture and drainage. This climate-resilient technique allows for year-round fodder production, which can significantly increase the income of livestock farmers by providing a reliable, high-demand feed source. The land should be prepared by 2-3 ploughings followed by laddering. Then, a 20-25 cm high raised bed should be made every 90 cm distance, so that a furrow is formed between the two beds, which can later be used for irrigation purposes and drainage of excess water. Photo 7: Fodder cutting sowing following raised bed method at Kalapara, Patuakhali. Photo Credit: Md Rabiul Islam, IRRI https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/sustainable-farming/ https://www.cgiar.org/cgiar-research-porfolio-2025-2030/sustainable-farming/