CM Nitish Kumar on Tuesday assured the state legislative assembly that strength and weaknesses in implementing agriculture schemes in Bihar would be assessed for proper implementation of the second agriculture road map for development with efficient use of its rich soil and magnificent climate.

He said that soil health card for the respective agriculture farms would be given to the farmers in an effort to maintain good soil health to get higher yield from farms, he said.

Nitish said that the target is to provide food and nutritional security to the people and handsome return to the farmers on their investment of money, brain and labour in the farms and allied economic activities through rainbow revolution.

After conclusion of the special discussion, the CM assured the House that the valuable suggestions of the assembly members would be incorporated to sharpen the second map. Giving innumerable suggestions, with pointers about weaknesses as well, leader of the Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that he was opposed to any politics related to the cause of the farmers, and so he gave his own suggestions.

On this, Nitish said that all parties should join hands to support the map as development was imperative as it aimed at bringing in rainbow revolution with all its dimensions to provide far greater benefit to the farmers than the first green revolution in north India, when imported seeds and chemical fertilizers were used to raise farm production. The CM said that in Bihar the government would promote organic farming and vermi culture to raise farm production mixing little of chemical fertilizers, as per need.

Nitish said that the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) had declared Bihar model of maintaining pace in seed replacement rate, providing better seeds to the farmers, under Mukhya Manti Tivra Beej Yojana, as the best and that this should be applied across the country.

The CM contended that the Central government has adopted bad policy as it was promoting sugarcane production in western India where each crop needs 29 times irrigation while neglecting Bihar where only three irrigation is needed. Nitish said that the state lacked proper agriculture extension network and advanced agriculture technology which had to be overcome while implementing the second map which was planned by his agriculture cabinet, comprising 18 departments. The agriculture cabinet would take effective decisions by monitoring the implementation of the map through respective departments, he said, adding that in this way in the next five years it can modify the strategy.

The CM said that stress would be on processing of agriculture produce with primary processing by farmers and high-end processing through food processing industries. Nitish said that stress would be laid on efficient and optimal use of water through lift irrigation and sprinklers and there will be dedicated feeder for power supply for irrigation of agriculture farms.

TOI, Patna