: ‘HealthifyMe For Cattle’? Startup Helps 2 Lakh Farmers Increase Profits By 50% #IndiaNEWS #Karnataka Bengaluru-born Kumar Ranjan had always wanted to build a career that would catapult societal

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‘HealthifyMe For Cattle’? Startup Helps 2 Lakh Farmers Increase Profits By 50% #IndiaNEWS #Karnataka
Bengaluru-born Kumar Ranjan had always wanted to build a career that would catapult societal impact in some form.
He spent seven years working in the automotive industry, building innovative technologies and making autonomous vehicles. Then, he switched briefly to the electric vehicle industry. But neither could help him reach where he wanted to be — creating sustainable impact with his work.
In the early phases of COVID-19, a chance to create this impact came when he met a few poultry farmers to understand the gaps existing in the agricultural sector.
“My father works in a company that helps farmer and agricultural students start their own businesses, which is funded by NABARD. As part of it I delivered lectures in 2018-19 to guide students in becoming agri-entrepreneurs,� Ranjan says.
With this understanding, Ranjan launched his startup E-Feed, which he says has benefitted over two lakh farmers by reducing their losses and increasing their income. The app works like ‘HealthifyMe’, but for animals, to chart out their dietary requirements and prepare meal plans accordingly.
A diet consultant for animals
From left Ravi Chauhan Kumar Ranjan, Abhishek Chaudhary, Sagar K, Aamir Hoda and Gautam Sukhramani, partners at E Feed.
“In the early half of 2020, a friend introduced me to poultry and cattle farmers,� he recalls, adding that he learnt how the farmers were earning little return on investment for their cattle, which was producing less milk. “The average yield of an Indian cow is expected to be 15-20 litres a day. But in reality, it delivers less than 15 litres. This is because farmers do not often provide adequate nutrition to the cattle. �
The 30-year-old also observed that farmers were leaving cows at their own mercy to fetch food, or providing them with fodder without considering its nutritional value.
“Animal nutrition is neglected, and farmers do not discuss it with one another. We educate them to understand the nutrition requirements of cattle, like protein and fat. These are crucial elements that determine and ultimately help improve the health of cattle, thereby increasing productivity,� he says.
He adds that inadequate and improper diets lead to excess methane emissions from cattle. “Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Animals emit the gas due to indigestion and improper food. India has one of the largest cattle populations in the world, thus making it a significant emitter. Nutrition improvement and effective diet can significantly reduce this,� he says.
Similar issues affect the poultry and aqua industries in India, he says.
“The poultry industry is undergoing similar struggles.

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