This paper describes a study of the discriminatory powers of assessment by farmers and by laboratory techniques, of the nutritive value of tree fodder found in the middle hills of Nepal. The two systems of nutritive value assessment for tree fodder are described and evaluated through detailed investigation of eight types of tree fodder (five botanically differentiated species: Ficus neriifolia , Ficus auriculata , Ficus semicordata , Prunus cerasoides , Albizia julibrissin ) used to supplement crop residue-based diets for cattle during the dry season. Both systems are shown to provide means of discriminating fodder sources in terms of their nutritive value that are comparable in terms of discriminatory power and consistency. This research suggests that laboratory assessment of the feed quality of tropical tree fodder may be used to build on and enhance rather than replace local classification.