PATNA: The two-day seminar on ‘Development of Horticulture in Bihar: Issues and Strategies’, which concluded here on Saturday, adopted a 20-point programme to further develop horticulture in the state besides promoting horticulture products. About 200 scientists and scholars attended the seminar, which discussed issues related to development and growth of horticulture in Bihar.
The vice-chancellor of Rajendra Agriculture University (RAU), Pusa, M L Choudhary, said the seminar decided that although about 20 to 30% horticulture products get lost each year for one reason or the other due to their perishable nature, the same could be checked if they are properly stored and kept under required temperature.
Choudhary told TOI that a consensus had emerged at the meet that need-based plantation must be given priority in the state so that land in the Maoist-affected and hilly areas could be fully utilized.
Currently, horticulture is being done in about two lakh hectares in Bihar yielding good revenue. Horticulture produsts come mainly from Patna, Biharsharif, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Begusarai areas in abundance, he said.
According to Bihar Horticulture Society treasurer Anil Kumar Singh, participants at the meet opined that the state must set up small industries at different places so that perishable produce like vegetables, mangoes and potatoes could be stored. Besides, Bihar horticulture society would suggest the state government to promote cultivation of horticulture products on unutilized land, he said .
The organizing secretary of Bihar Horticulture Society, P K Ray, said the stress would now be on producing quality vegetables and fruits. It has been decided to promote ‘protected cultivation’ on barren land. Under the proposed scheme, the state government would adopt low-cost technology to encourage ‘protected cultivation’ of select vegetables like cauliflower, he said.
The meet also stressed on creating mass awareness among farmers to produce mangoes and litchis as these plants yield good revenue to farmers. While wheat produced in about one hectare land yields about Rs 50,000, mangoes produced in the same area would yield about Rs 2 lakh, said RAU chief information officer Mrityunjay Kumar.
Read more:Â 20-pt plan to develop horticulture in Bihar – The Times of India