|
|
.Patna,(BiharTimes): The second agriculture cabinet, which met in Patna on Friday set a target of agriculture production in Bihar, which is considered unrealistic by many experts.
By 2022 it has been predicted that the output would be more than two-fold of the present. Though a large part of Bihar is repeated under the spell of drought this year again in the next five years, the state aims to increase the production from the present 129 lakh tonnes to 252 lakh tonnes. And by 2022 the final target put by the cabinet is 324 lakh tonnes.
|
However, economists tend to disagree with such projections. P P Ghosh was quoted in the media as saying that “even when Punjab witnessed a Green Revolution, the agriculture growth rate was just six per cent. Going by projections, Bihar will have to register a growth of 16 per cent every year to achieve this target.”
Agriculture department principalsecretary Ashok Kumar Sinha, while answering to queries of the media explained the points on the basis of which these projections have been made. He said they are based on the basis of land, irrigation and seed varieties available with the state. However, Prof Nawal Kishore Choudhary termed the projection as utopian as the state does not have the resources to achieve this kind of growth in the agriculture sector.
On the other hand former chairman of State Agriculture Commission Ramadhar is of the view that in the
light of the past performance of agriculture, the projection seems to be on the higher side. One has to take into account flood or drought that the state faces.
Though the agriculture cabinet had made a tall claim it met almost two months behind its announced date of June 15. The first one was held on April 26 last.
The Friday’s cabinet meeting decided to hold a meeting of stake holders in the end of October as part of its exercise to chart out the second road map for the agriculture sector.
comments...
| 
