Muzaffarpur: Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Saturday presided over the “Kisan Kalyan Samvad cum Yuva Kisan Samman Samaroh” in Muzaffarpur, where he emphasised the role of innovation and government schemes in transforming agriculture into a profitable, modern enterprise.
Addressing a large gathering of farmers and officials, Sinha praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, highlighting key national initiatives such as the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, which provides Rs 6,000 in annual direct assistance to millions of farmers. He also cited the growing use of drone technology, organic farming, and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as examples of how agriculture is becoming more sustainable and self-reliant.
Describing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as “Vikas Purush,” Sinha credited state schemes such as “Jeevika,” “Irrigation to Every Field,” and the Agriculture Roadmap for empowering rural communities. “Business worth crores is now being created in villages through agricultural entrepreneurship,” he said.
He noted that the current Rs 1.85 lakh crore national agriculture budget is the largest to date — four times greater than before 2014 — and underlined central measures such as the formation of 15,000 FPOs, a Rs 12,000 crore package for organic farming, an Agri-Startup Fund, and a 200% increase in digital agriculture spending as key drivers of rural transformation.
During the programme, Sinha inaugurated a 500-metric-tonne seed processing unit and warehouse in Mushahari and visited the National Litchi Research Centre, where he observed climate-resilient farming techniques. He also planted saplings as a symbol of environmental stewardship and inspected the market committee complex in Ahiyapur.
The event also included an open dialogue with young farmers. Neeraj Kumar requested the declaration of Muzaffarpur as a maize-producing district, citing cultivation over 50 acres. Sonu Nigam Kumar shared updates on Parwal (pointed gourd) variety research and urged seed distribution at the panchayat level. Rajesh Ranjan advocated for priority to non-raiyat (non-landowning) farmers in natural farming, and Raju Ranjan Kumar highlighted greenhouse cucumber production and called for farm record-keeping initiatives.
Calling the young honourees “heroes of our future,” Sinha said their efforts were turning Bihar’s soil into “gold” through hard work and innovation. “Today, the farmers of Bihar are not only annadata (food providers), but sarvadaata (universal givers),” he said.
He urged farmers to adopt scientific methods, connect with government schemes, and encourage the next generation to pursue agricultural entrepreneurship. “This is not just a dialogue — it is the beginning of a mass movement,” Sinha declared.
