PATNA: In a move to give a boost to organic farming, 'Organic Farming Corridors' along both sides of the river Ganga in 12 cities of Bihar including Patna, will be developed in the next few years. The corridors, which are in the progress, will be coming under the state's ambitious "Third Agriculture Roadmap", for the years 2017-2022 with an attached budget of Rs 1.55 lakh crore.
Under these corridors, farmers would be encouraged and helped to resort to organic farming by using organic manures. In a state like Bihar, which has made a huge progress in the cultivation of vegetables and other crops like paddy and potatoes, the organic farming corridors would give a major boost to the economy of farmers.
For the marketing of the agro products produced through organic farming, the state government would provide proper platforms along with ensuring the supply of seeds and storage facility.
Official sources said that Bihar needs 15 lakh quintals of seeds of various crops per year but it produces only five lakh quintals of seeds. Dy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Saturday said that the fund of Rs 1.55 lakh crore for the organic farming corridors in 12 districts has been allotted.
He said that organic farming in 103 clusters in Bhojpur, Buxar, Chhapra, Vaishali, Patna and other districts situated along the Ganga and other rivers has already been started by farmers for cultivation vegetables and other crops.
Around half a dozen villages, which are along the Ganga and other rivers around Hajipur, the district headquarter of Vaishali, are emerging as major seeds cultivation pockets. Chakwara, near Hajipur, has become famous for the cultivation of cauliflower seeds not only within the state but outside also.
Sanjiv Kumar, a progressive farmer of this village, said that organic farming in the cultivation of cauliflower seeds has given high yielding as well handsome income to the farmers.