Patna: Vegetables grown in Bihar have started reaching the international market. Recently, 1,500 kilograms of vegetables were sent to Lulu Mall in Dubai as a trial. After this success, the cooperative department is preparing to send vegetables to Nepal and Singapore. Officials say this step will increase the income of farmers in the state.
The cooperative department is also selling vegetables under the brand name Tarkari. Fresh vegetables are being supplied to cities at reasonable prices. So far, three cooperative unions — Harit, Tirhut and Mithila — have sold more than 1.04 lakh metric tonnes of vegetables, earning a turnover of Rs 178 crore. A special Tarkari mobile app has also been launched to help farmers check orders and supply vegetables easily.
This system is part of the Bihar State Vegetable Processing and Marketing Scheme. Under it, farmers are connected through block-level societies, district-level unions and a state-level federation called Vegfed. These groups also manage cold storage, grading sheds and local markets to support farmers.
At present, four unions — Tirhut, Mithila, Harit and Magadh — are working across 527 block-level societies. More than 49,000 farmers have joined these societies. Officials say this cooperative model is giving farmers better markets and will help make Bihar’s vegetables a regular part of international trade.
