As winter approaches, the Jagorbee youth have begun to make maize silage, storing around 2MT of maize in a silage bag for cattle feeding. The youth are enthusiastic about such initiative and look forward to obtaining optimal milk production using maize silage during the winter months, when fodder is scarce.

Jagorbee LUC was established in FY2018-2019 under Maedtsho gewog, Lhuentse, as part of the Land Use Certificate Program (LUC) for youths. Integrated farming of poultry, vegetable, cereal crop and dairy has been initiated with fund support from CARLEP – IFAD. In addition to the loan of Nu. 0.5 M from the CSI bank, the youth have received 50% funding for the purchase of cattle, the construction of a cow shed, and the purchase of dairy equipment under the Matching Grant Support program.

Taking advantage of seasonal fodder surpluses and converting those into silage or hay, supplemented by other fodder (paddy straw, maize stalks, fodder trees) and concentrated feed is imperative to meet the animals’ year-round fodder needs, thereby maintaining optimum milk production throughout the year.

Jagorbee LUC is being coordinated and assisted by the Lhuentse Dzongkhag Agriculture and Livestock sector with technical assistance from ARDC Wengkhar and RAMCO.

Reported by: Chhimi Lhamo, GKMO, OPM