President Ram Nath Kovind will launch the third phase of Rs 1.55 lakh crore Bihar agriculture roadmap (2017-22) on November 9 to give further fillip to the integrated growth of farm sector.
"President Ram Nath Kovind will launch the third phase of Bihar agriculture roadmap for next five years (2017-22) at Bapu hall of Samrat Ashok International Convention Centre here in the state capital on November 9," Bihar Agriculture Minister Prem Kumar told reporters here.
This will be Kovind's first Bihar visit after being elected as President in July last. Kovind was Bihar Governor before being elected as the President of India.
The Bihar cabinet on October 3 this year had given its nod for an ambitious Rs 1.55 lakh crore "agriculture road map" for bringing out "rainbow revolution" in agriculture in next five years.
The main objective of the roadmap is to "ensure at least one Bihari dish on the plate of every Indian", Kumar said adding that execution of the road map will also help attaining desired objectives of food security, nutrition, inclusive development and increase in farmers income.
The road map includes programmes by as many as 12 departments, including Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Pisciculture, Revenue and Land Reforms, Water Resources, Power and Food Processing.
The state government has planned to improve infrastructure particularly in the rural areas to provide necessary back up for success of the ambitious agricultural plan, Kumar said, adding that as part of this it has been decided to link villages having population of 250 and above with pucca (metallic) road.
The roadmap intends to set up vegetable processing units at PACS/Vyapar Mandal and cold chain with marketing facility, agriculture minister said adding that the productivity has to be increased from current 69.06 tonnes per hectare to 90 tonnes per hectare besides setting the sugar recovery rate of 13 per cent.
The state government intends to increase its food grain storage capacity to 21.29 lakh MT from current 13 lakh MT, he said adding that power would be supplied to farm land through a separate and dedicated agri feeder.
The government has made significant improvement in agriculture sector following the implementation of two agri roadmaps in the past.
The first roadmap for agriculture sector was chalked out in 2008 which came to an end in March 2012. The Rs 1.49 lakh crore second agri roadmap was launched by the then President Pranab Mukherjee on October 3, 2012.
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