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Model fodder villages and its impact on livelihood security of dairy farmers: empirical evidences from Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh, Central India
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 October 2025
Abstract
The productivity of dairy animals is heavily reliant on the timely access to sufficient, high-quality fodder. This study analyzes the ex-post impact of Model Fodder Villages on the livelihood security of dairy farmers in Bundelkhand region of central India. The study used cross-sectional data from 437 farmers and employed the inverse-propensity-weighting regression adjustment (IPWRA) method for impact evaluation and verified the robustness of the results through matching methods. The findings show that dairy farmers in model fodder villages are 14–19% more likely to improve habitat security, 19–21% more likely to enhance economic security, and 13–16% more likely to increase food security. Our findings also indicate that factors such as age, education, household size, dependency ratio, off-farm income, adult cattle units, and access to roads, markets, credit, and training play significant roles in adopting improved fodder practices. The study's methodology provides a reliable approach to evaluating the impact of interventions that improve access to fodder and related resources, aiming to enhance the livelihoods of dairy farmers and agricultural communities.
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- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation.
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Choudhary et al. supplementary material
Choudhary et al. supplementary material
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