PPatna: The Bihar government is preparing to establish a new state-level marketing federation aimed at strengthening farmers’ access to markets and reducing their dependence on intermediaries. The move, backed by chief minister Nitish Kumar, follows the state’s diminished administrative control over the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union, widely known as BISCOMAUN, after the creation of Jharkhand as a separate state.
Officials in the cooperative department, headquartered in Patna, have finalised a detailed roadmap for the proposed body. The federation is expected to replicate the cooperative marketing model that once operated under direct state supervision, but with a renewed focus on decentralised operations and farmer-led participation.
Under the proposed framework, cooperative unions will be constituted at divisional levels to strengthen rural networks and streamline procurement, storage and distribution. The government believes this structure will improve efficiency and ensure services reach grassroots institutions such as Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), which play a crucial role in Bihar’s rural credit system.
The new federation is designed to provide farmers with direct market linkages, real-time price information and access to storage and packaging facilities. By reducing reliance on private traders and middlemen, the administration hopes to secure better price realisation for small and marginal farmers, who often sell produce below market rates due to limited bargaining power and inadequate infrastructure.
In addition to marketing agricultural produce, the federation will facilitate timely distribution of fertilisers and climate-appropriate seeds. Long queues for fertiliser supplies have been a recurring issue in several districts, and officials say the revamped supply chain mechanism could ease logistical bottlenecks while improving accountability.
As one of India’s agrarian states, Bihar exports significant volumes of agricultural produce but lacks cohesive branding in national and international markets. The proposed body will prioritise quality control, branding and export readiness, with the aim of positioning Bihar’s produce as a recognised market identity. If implemented effectively, the initiative could mark a significant shift in the state’s agricultural economy and contribute to sustainable income growth for farmers.
