Patna/Hyderabad: Bihar and Telangana have agreed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture through the exchange of modern technology, farming practices, innovations and farmer training.
Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha met with Telangana Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao at the Telangana Secretariat in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Senior officials from the agriculture departments of both states also attended the meeting.
Focus On Farmer Exchanges
The two sides discussed creating opportunities for farmers to undertake training programmes and study tours in each other’s states.
According to the Bihar Agriculture Department, the exchanges will allow farmers to observe modern technologies and successful agricultural models directly and assess how they can be adapted to local conditions.
Sinha said direct interaction between farmers and the exchange of practical knowledge could contribute to the development of agriculture in both states.
Bihar Farmers To Learn About Oil Palm
As part of the proposed cooperation, farmers from Bihar will travel to Telangana to learn about oil palm cultivation, processing and oil extraction, along with related technologies.
The exchange will work in the opposite direction as well. Farmers from Telangana will visit Bihar to learn about makhana cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing.
The programme is intended to give farmers practical exposure to agricultural practices that have been adopted in different regional conditions.
Technology And Value Addition
Sinha said Bihar is seeking to expand the use of modern agricultural technology and scientific farming methods while promoting crop diversification, processing, value addition and improved market linkages.
The minister said successful agricultural models from other states could be adopted in Bihar after being assessed against local conditions.
The proposed cooperation with Telangana is part of this broader approach to improving farm productivity and strengthening agricultural value chains.
Scientists And Officials To Be Included
The proposed collaboration will not be limited to farmer-level exchanges.
According to the department, agricultural scientists, experts, government officials and technical institutions from both states will also have opportunities to share knowledge and experience.
The exchange of technical expertise is expected to support the faster transfer of new agricultural technologies and practices to farmers.
Climate Change Also On The Agenda
The two states also discussed the challenges posed by climate change to agriculture.
The Bihar Agriculture Department said sharing experiences, technologies and successful responses to changing climatic conditions could help farmers adopt more resilient practices.
The cooperation is expected to cover innovations that can improve agricultural productivity while supporting more sustainable farming systems.
The proposed farmer exchanges and training programmes will focus initially on areas where Bihar and Telangana have relevant expertise, including oil palm in Telangana and makhana in Bihar.
The state government said continued cooperation between farmers, scientists and agricultural institutions could create opportunities to make farming more productive, sustainable and focused on value addition.
