Minister Prem Kumar Rallies BAU Sabour Scientists to Advance Bihar’s Agri-Exports

Sabour: In a renewed push to position Bihar as a hub for vegetable export and processing, the state’s Cooperative Minister, Dr Prem Kumar, held detailed discussions with scientists at Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour, on Friday.

Chaired by Dr Kumar, the brainstorming session brought together experts from the departments of Vegetable Science and Food Processing to explore actionable strategies for promoting the commercial viability of Bihar’s produce.

Dr Kumar outlined plans for constructing cold storage units and warehouses in 460 out of the state’s 534 blocks. Each identified site — spread over 10,000 square feet — will house a 10-tonne cold storage facility and a 20-tonne warehouse. A total of 64 such units are slated for development at an estimated cost of Rs 1.14 crore.

He also announced that four unions will be established at the commissionerate level, under which five federation committees will operate. Each block will see the appointment of a manager, accountant, and consultant to implement the cooperative initiative effectively. A database on vegetable production at the block level will soon be compiled to guide future export and marketing strategies.

“Our goal is to transform Bihar into a leading exporter of vegetables by strengthening infrastructure and scientific coordination,” Dr Kumar said, adding that the role of Bihar Agricultural University under Vice-Chancellor Dr D.R. Singh had been instrumental in the state’s agricultural growth.

The session opened with a welcome by Dr Fiza Ahmed, Director (Seeds and Fields), who recalled Dr Kumar’s tenure as Agriculture Minister when he sanctioned Rs 10 crore to support foreign exposure visits for scientists and administrative development at the university.

Highlighting regional examples, Dr Ahmed pointed out that Bangladeshi vegetables are available in export hubs like Dubai. “If Bangladesh can, so can Bihar,” she remarked, calling for bold steps in export readiness.

Several scientists presented ideas during the interaction:

• Dr Sangeeta Shri stressed the need to process crops like onion and tomato into powders, flakes, and pastes.
• Dr Shirin Akhtar announced ongoing research into tomato varieties suited for processing, expected to be farmer-ready soon.
• Dr T. Chattopadhyay advocated for multipurpose processing machines adaptable to different crops.
• Dr Ahmer Aftab recommended integrating the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme with cooperative initiatives.
• Dr Anit from the Processing Department urged the government to set up a processing unit at each Krishi Vigyan Kendra, noting the availability of modular machines for multiple crops.
• Dr Neetu Kumari called for a regional office of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) in Bihar and stressed the importance of market intelligence, onion storage, and packaging.

The meeting also saw remarks from local MLA Pawan Kumar, who praised the university’s progress. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Neetu Kumari.