Encouraged by farmers’ response to organic farming in areas covered by a pilot project, Bihar’s agriculture department has decided to launch special incentive programme to popularise the natural way of farming in all 38 districts, said a senior officer of the state agriculture department.
Currently, chemical-free farming is being done in 13 districts along the river Ganga, which would be extended to other areas this year under the 4th agricultural road map in a big way, said agriculture minister Kumar Sarvajeet, adding that the new agricultural road map would be unveiled shortly.
Officials said the department has proposed offering incentive on setting up the vermicompost making units, biogas plants, biotech laboratories on private-public-partnership mode in all districts, promoting innovation and start-ups in organic farming sector and financial support to cluster of farmers engaged in production of green manure. “The incentive scheme envisages extending subsidy up to 90% of the cost in certain areas,” said an official.
Around 40,000 farmers have been engaged in organic farming in districts like Patna, Buxar, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Samastipur, Khagaria, Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur, Munger, Nalanda and Katihar for the past three years (since 2019-20). All the farmers have received c-2 certification of their produce and very soon their products would be marketed with c-3 certification, the highest credentials for organic farming.
Currently, the farmers are being given financial assistance of ₹11,500 for per acre organic farming, besides free bio fertilizer and certified seeds from the state government. “Organic farming is being done on around 37,000 acres by more than 200 clusters of farmers. The department has decided to provide financial support of ₹5000 or 50% of the cost of development each vermicompost units. The department hopes to facilitate building of around 19,000 vermicompost units this year,” said the official.
Apart from this, the state government has also approved the department’s plan of supporting private entrepreneurs in setting up at least 13 commercial vermicomposting plants for which they would be given subsidy of ₹6.40 lakh or 40% cost of the each unit.
