State’s fourth agricultural roadmap launched on October 18 by President Murmu
Representative photo from iStock There has been a multi-fold increase in Bihar’s food production since the state’s first agriculture roadmap was implemented 15 years ago, state officials claimed October 18, 2023 as President Droupadi Murmu launched the Fourth Bihar Agriculture Roadmap.
The eastern state was probably the first in India to implement an “agriculture roadmap” for developing sustainable agriculture and increasing farmers’ income.
The first Bihar agriculture roadmap was launched in 2008, followed by a second in 2012 and third in 2017. Each roadmap was of a five-year duration.
Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, secretary of the state agriculture department, said: “Food production has definitely increased in the state if we compare the pre- and post-agriculture roadmap phases. It has increased despite repeated floods and drought that hit farmers during this period.”
He cited the example of paddy, Bihar’s main kharif crop. Bihar produced 12.4 quintals of paddy per hectare in 2007-08, at the time the first agricultural roadmap was launched.
This figure rose to 25 quintals per hectare in 2021-22, an almost twofold jump in the production of the cereal per hectare in the state since the first agriculture roadmap was implemented.
Similarly, maize production was 27.4 quintals per hectare in 2007-08. This figure rose to 52.4 quintals per hectare in 2021-22. Bihar has emerged as a major maize producer during this period (2007-2022) in India.
Bihar’s production of wheat, its main rabi crop, was 23.4 quintals per hectare in 2007-08. This rose to 30.8 quintals per hectare in 2021-22.
The state produced 0.6 million tonnes of milk per year before the first agricultural roadmap. This rose to 11.5 million tonnes in 2021-22. Eggs, meat and fish production also increased after the agriculture roadmaps were implemented.
In 2007-08, Bihar was producing over 10 million eggs per year. This rose to over 30 million eggs per year in 2021-22. Meat production was 0.18 million tonnes in 2007-08 and rose to 0.4 million tonnes in 2021-22.
The biggest jump though, was witnessed in fish production. In 2007-08, Bihar’s fish production was 0.3 million tonnes. This rose to 0.76 million tonnes in 2021-22.
Earlier, Bihar was dependent on fish from outside, particularly Andhra Pradesh. But today, fish farming has caught on among farmers in the state, resulting in an increase in fish production.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in his address on October 18 at the launch of the fourth agriculture roadmap, said there would be no need of a fifth agriculture roadmap in the state going by the development in the agriculture sector during the first three roadmaps and the fourth that is being implemented now.
He added that this roadmap will focus on crop diversification in view of the challenge posed by climate change to higher food grain production.
The government will focus on increasing production of millets, oil seeds and pulses, along with cattle and fish farming to increase farm income, under the fourth agricultural roadmap.
The state government will spend Rs 1.62 lakh crore to implement the fourth agriculture roadmap. “Our agenda is to work and expand storage facilities, processing units and irrigation,” another official said.
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