FEAST- A User-friendly Tool for Feed Assessment to Support Dairy Intensification

In smallholder dairying, feed is the single most limiting constraint to production intensification. The availability of various feed resources in a given location can be roughly estimated rapidly using a tool called FEAST (Feed Assessment Tool) which was developed, field tested and extensively used by ILRI scientists. The tool comprises a farmer-centered diagnosis exercise, use of questionnaires and their analysis. The whole exercise can be completed within 2-3 days and leads to a set of feed options for subsequent prioritization in consultation with farmers. The tool, apart from providing evidence on the feed situation, makes available information on the pre-requisites for feed investment such as potential of existing breeds, demand for milk and availability of marketing mechanisms in the area. The paper discusses use of the tool and outputs of the exercise recently carried out in Bijapur, Karnataka