Patna: Dr. Prem Kumar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, distributed incentives to farmers under the Agroforestry Scheme on Saturday. A total of Rs. 1.28 lakh was given to 8 farmers from Vaishali district, Rs. 4.28 lakh to 54 farmers from Patna district, and Rs. 17.09 lakh to 233 farmers from Bhojpur district. In December, over Rs. 2 crore has been distributed across all districts under the scheme.
The minister encouraged farmers to work on minor forest produce and thanked them for participating in the scheme. He also highlighted the importance of soldiers and farmers in the country’s development. Farmers present at the event shared their ideas and suggestions for improving the scheme.
The Agroforestry Scheme involves the provision of plants to farmers at a subsidized rate of Rs. 10 per plant from local nurseries. Farmers are given incentives for plant care, with an additional Rs. 60 per plant provided after three years if the survival rate exceeds 50 percent. The Chief Minister’s Private Nursery Establishment Scheme offers financial support to farmers for preparing poplar and other species of plants, with predetermined rates of Rs. 30 per poplar plant and Rs. 24 per plant for other species.
During the event, it was also announced that Rs. 114,739,160 will be distributed under the Chief Minister’s Private Nursery Establishment Scheme across various districts. This scheme supports the establishment of nurseries for poplar and other plant species by the beneficiaries.
The program was attended by key officials, including Prabhat Kumar Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HOFF), Arvinder Singh, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden, and Abhay Kumar Dwivedi, Director of Hariyali Mission. Other attendees included Chandrashekhar, Chief Conservator of Forests (Headquarters), Kumarasamy, Additional Director of Hariyali Mission, Gaurav Ojha, Divisional Forest Officer of Patna Forest Division, and Amit Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer of Vaishali Forest Division.
