{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "How One Officer's Initiative Turned Bahraich's Fodder Crisis Into a Milk Boom",
  "summary": "American Napier grass, introduced in Bahraich district on the initiative of former District Magistrate Dr. Dinesh Chandra, is now doubling farmers' incomes, with Ziaul Haq of Bhatpurwa village the first to adopt it.",
  "content": "In Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district, arranging enough green fodder for livestock used to be one of the toughest challenges cattle owners faced, but an administrative initiative has completely changed that picture. Thanks to an effort led by former District Magistrate Dr. Dinesh Chandra, American Napier grass now grows lushly across dozens of villages in Bahraich, and farmers are calling it nothing short of a boon.\n\nWhen finding green fodder was a daily struggle\nUntil a few years ago, farmers in Bahraich found it difficult to arrange enough green fodder to feed their animals. Recognising this problem, the then District Magistrate, Dr. Dinesh Chandra, personally stepped in, supplying American Napier grass seeds to farmers and encouraging them to take up its cultivation. His efforts gradually began to pay off, and more and more farmers came forward to adopt this new crop.\n\nZiaul Haq of Bhatpurwa showed the way\nInspired by Dr. Dinesh Chandra's push, Ziaul Haq, a farmer from Bhatpurwa village, was the first to plant Napier grass on his land. Seeing his results, other farmers in the area followed suit, and today the grass has spread across the entire district. Dr. Dinesh Chandra has since retired and is no longer posted in Bahraich, but the green gift he left behind continues to bring greenery to the district's fields.\n\nGrowing Napier grass is remarkably simple\nCultivating Napier grass is not a difficult task at all. It only needs periodic fertiliser, water and a little regular care. A number of farmers are even using poultry manure to get a good yield from it. The biggest feature of this magical grass is that once it is planted, cutting it from the top only makes it grow back faster from below. Except during the harshest cold spells, the grass stays green in the fields all year round, ensuring animals get green fodder for almost the entire year.\n\nOne bigha, three animals and buckets of milk\nAccording to farmers, if Napier grass is planted on just 1 bigha of land, it can provide enough green fodder to feed 2 to 3 animals to their fill for the whole year. Eating this fodder keeps the animals healthy and fit, and also boosts their milk-giving capacity. Farmers say their animals are now filling buckets with milk, which has doubled their income. Any farmer still struggling with a shortage of green fodder can solve the problem simply by planting Napier grass.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: The model shows how the right administrative push and low-cost crops can help livestock owners in other districts solve their own green fodder shortages.\n• In Bahraich: Farmers now get green fodder for almost the entire year, so their animals are producing more milk and household incomes have directly doubled.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Who started Napier grass cultivation in Bahraich?\nFormer District Magistrate Dr. Dinesh Chandra started it by supplying seeds to farmers and encouraging them to cultivate it.\n\n2. Which farmer planted it first?\nZiaul Haq, a farmer from Bhatpurwa village, was the first to plant Napier grass, inspired by Dr. Dinesh Chandra's initiative.\n\n3. How much land is needed to grow Napier grass?\nJust 1 bigha of land planted with Napier grass can provide enough green fodder for 2 to 3 animals for a whole year.\n\n4. What kind of care does the grass need?\nIt only needs periodic fertiliser, water and a little regular care, and many farmers also use poultry manure.\n\n5. How long does the grass stay green through the year?\nIt stays green in the fields all year round except during the harshest cold spells.\n\n6. What benefit are farmers seeing from it?\nTheir animals are now filling buckets with milk, which has doubled the farmers' income.\n\n7. Is Dr. Dinesh Chandra still posted in Bahraich?\nNo, he has since retired and is no longer in the district, but the cultivation he started continues to benefit farmers.\n\nInspiration & Lessons\n• Using authority the right way: Instead of just announcing a scheme, Dr. Dinesh Chandra personally supplied seeds to farmers as District Magistrate, which built their trust in the idea.\n• The courage to go first: Ziaul Haq took the risk of adopting an untested crop before anyone else in his village, and the whole area now benefits from it.\n• Small beginnings, big results: Feeding 2 to 3 animals for a full year from just 1 bigha of land shows how limited resources can still create major change.\n• Good work outlasts the person: Even after Dr. Dinesh Chandra retired and left the district, the cultivation he started continues to benefit farmers today.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/success-stories/eka-aphasara-ki-pahala-se-bahraich-ke-pashupalakon-ki-badali-takadira-aba-bharapura-dudha-de-rahe-maveshi-9164",
  "category": "Success Stories",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-20",
  "tags": [
    "Napier grass",
    "Bahraich",
    "Livestock farming",
    "Green fodder",
    "Dairy farmers",
    "Agriculture",
    "Uttar Pradesh"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}