Livestock are a crucial component of the hill farming system in Nepal, for their contribution to household subsistence and incomes, draught power, and most impottantly recycling of nutrients and hence fertilisation of cultivated land. Traditionally communal grazing areas and off-farm fodder sources have been important sources of feed for the ruminant livestock. Increasing pressure on land, together with changed access rights to some communal resources, has led to decrease in availability of off-farm fodder sources. Seasonal fodder shortages are becoming more severe and farmers report that this is limiting livestock productivity in some areas.

To develop strategies to improve the seasonal availability of feeds in small scale livestock production in forest-agriculture interface production systems in order to maintain and enhance livestock productivity and hence overall farm productivity.

• Measurement of the relative importance of on-farm and off-farm fodder resources in terms of quantity, quality and seasonal availability, for farmers with different livestock and land holdings.
• Identification of trends in the availability of on-farm and off-farm sources of fodder, and the effect of new policies such as Community Forest Management agreements on supply of off-farm fodder and grazing resources.
• Sustainable systems of fodder production to overcome constraints in supply identified.
• Fora for the discussion of findings and related work in-country between farmers and between research and extension practitioners.
• Policy implications identified.