Bihar govt engages four agri research groups for promoting

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said that the state government has roped in four leading agricultural research organisations to help tillers do farming suitable to climatic change factors.

The cm was speaking here after inaugurating "Jalwayu Ke Anukul Krishi" (climate friendly agriculture) programme under 'Jal Jeewan Hariyali' drive.

The organisations entrusted with the job are- Borlaugh Institute For South Asia, Pusa centre, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa (Samastipur), Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, Bhagalpur and Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR), eastern region, Patna.

Kumar also asked them to convince farmers not to go for stubble burning.

Farmers have now started buring their crop residues even in north Bihar as noticed in some places in Patna and Nalanda, he observed.

"There is a need to change the crop cycle in order to increase farmers' income," Kumar said, according to an official release.

The "Jalwayu Ke Anukul Krishi" programme is being launched at Krishi Vigyan Kendras of eight districts in the first phase, he said adding five villages will be selected in each district under it.

This would be expanded across the state later, he added.

The objective of this programme is to tell farmers to go for crops suitable to the climatic condition, Kumar said.

The state government would make requisite funds available for the project, he added.

The state government will give 75 per cent subsidy for buying farm equipments like rotary mulcher, straw baler, straw reaper to general farmers while 80 per cent subsidy will be provided to farmers belonging to SC, ST and Extremely Backward Caste (EBC), the CM said and added that "if needed, the amount of subsidy will be increased further."