Marginal farmers constitute the core of the livestock production sector and own over 80 percent of all livestock in India. Ruminant production is based on grazing and crop residues. Small ruminants subsist entirely on open grazing/browsing. Fodder scientists have developed many superior fodder crops like hybrid Napier varieties yielding over 300–400 tonnes of green fodder per hectare annually and giving net income of Rupees 250 000 per hectare. In some villages there are several few ‘land surplus’ farmers with fully-irrigated land to spare for high-yielding fodder crops. The milk collection centres, dairy and farmer cooperative societies in the village can identify ‘land surplus’ farmers and enter into mutually- enefiting annual contracts with them for cultivation and daily supply of cut-green fodder. Rotary chaff cutters in farmer households can maximise fodder utilisation. In straw-rich states millions of tonnes of straws are burnt as a means of disposal. This straw could be used for making pellets. Enriched straw pellets from Punjab state could take care of the total needs of ruminant feeds/fodder in the adjoining deficit states. The technology for pulverising, chopping and pelletising straw will have industrial-scale application in all regions. 

Keywords: Enriched straw pellets; Fodder on contract; Land surplus farmers.