Patna: Bihar will become a foodgrain surplus
state with plans to achieve the target of production
of foodgrains at 324 lakh tonne by 2022.
State Agriculture Production Commissioner Ashok Kumar
Sinha told reporters after the second agriculture cabinet
meeting that three committees on agriculture production,
animal resources production and fishery resources
production had made suggestions for boosting the production.
During the first-ever meeting of the agriculture cabinet
in Bihar held on April 26, 2011, it was decided to 14
committees on agriculture and three of these committees
submitted the report today to be incorporated in the
agriculture roadmap for boosting the production of foodgrains.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister SK
Modi, Water Resources department Vijay Choudhary, Animal and
Fishery Resources Minister Giriraj Singh and Agriculture
Minister Narendra Singh were also present.
Sinha said Friday’s meeting discussed phase-wise
energisation of tubewells and subsidy on diesel for farmers,
besides availability of agriculture loan to the tune of Rs
34000 crore up to 2022 for boosting the production.
The meeting decided to ensure cent per cent crop
insurance of farmers involved in paddy farming, besides fixing
the target of hundred per cent purchase of rice, maize and
pulse.
He informed that while the target of production of
foodgrains pegged at 129 lakh tonne against the current
requirements of 165 lakh tonne, but the state would be surplus
in production of foodgrains as it would be increased to 252
lakh tonne in 2017 against the requirements of 180 lakh tonnes
and 324 lakh tonne in 2022 against 192 lakh tonne.
Similarly, the present level of production of fruits was
38 lakh tonne, it would be raised to 60 lakh tonne in 2017 and
80 lakh tonne in 2022, Sinha said.
While the magnitude of production of vegetables which was
currently at 136 lakh tonne, would be enhanced to 186 lakh
tonne in 2017 and 225 lakh tonne in 2022, he said.
The meeting also discussed to expand the area of
cultivable land from 85 lakh hectare for farming at present to
120 lakh hectare in 2017 and 145 lakh tonne in 2022, the
Agriculture Production Commissioner said.
Stress was also laid on improving the irrigation
potential from 47 lakh hectare tonne at present to 110 lakh
hectare tonne in 2017 and 131 lakh hectare tonne in 2022, he
said.
Similarly, sincere efforts would be made for promoting
the availability of milk, egg and meat and third meeting of
the cabinet would take place in October during which rest of
11 of the 15 committees set up for submitting recommendations
for inclusion in the roadmap for agriculture would be debated,
he added.
PTI
First Published: Friday, August 12, 2011, 18:10