Patna: The Bihar government will establish new Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) to provide small and marginal farmers with access to modern agricultural equipment, Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha announced on Tuesday.
Under the Agriculture Road Map, the initiative aims to ensure timely farming operations such as ploughing, sowing, planting, harvesting and threshing, ultimately improving productivity. Farmers will receive an 80% subsidy on project costs of up to Rs 10,00,000, with grants of up to Rs 8,00,000 available.
Vijay said 569 farm machinery banks have already been set up across the state, with 38 more targeted for the current financial year. Beneficiaries include Jeevika groups, village organisations, cluster federations, farmer interest groups affiliated with ATMA, Kisan Clubs linked with NABARD, and nationalised banks. Farmer producer organisations, farmer producer companies, self-help groups and PACS are also eligible.
The scheme requires each FMB to include at least one machine for every stage of cultivation, aligned with the local crop cycle. Authorities believe the measure will strengthen mechanisation in rural areas and improve access to cost-effective farming resources.
