Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said all policies to be evolved in the field of agriculture would be farmer-centric to promote production, quality and income.
Inaugurating Horticulture Festival 2011, Mr. Kumar said 88 per cent of the total population in the State live in rural areas and agriculture was the primary source for their livelihood.
“Thus, whatever policy will be framed in the field of agriculture will have thrust on protecting the interests of farmers to facilitate and promote production, productivity, income and quality,” he said.
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Stating that Bihar had to play a vital role in eastern India for ushering in the second green revolution, the Chief Minister said, “We have to ensure food security, besides ensuring production of nutritional food grains and export the agriculture products to markets for generation of more and more income.”
Referring to establishment of the first-ever agriculture cabinet, he said it would have immense contribution in execution of the agriculture roadmap and help review farming programmes.
“There are 17 departments, which have been engaged in the task for achieving the State’s dream in the field of agriculture with their representation to the agriculture cabinet,” Mr. Kumar said.
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The State government had accorded top priority to agriculture and appointed agriculture expert Mangla Rai as its adviser on agriculture affairs to the Chief Minister.