Sabour: The two-day National Farmers Conference and Fair at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, concluded with significant participation, drawing around 22,000 farmers. The event, which featured 150 stalls from government and private agricultural companies across India, was inaugurated by Bihar Governor and Chancellor Arif Mohammad Khan.
A workshop on “Prosperity of Farmers Through Processed Food Products” was held on the second day, chaired by Dr R.K. Sohane, Director of Extension Education. Experts from across the country, including Anand Prakash, Technical Officer of APEDA Varanasi, guided farmers on agricultural exports and the benefits of registering with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). He urged mango farmers to enrol in Hortinet for better market access and highlighted the significance of APEDA registration.
In a farmer-scientist interaction session, Dr R.K. Jat of BISA Samastipur discussed climate-resilient agriculture, emphasising the impact of climate change on farming. He stressed the need for climate-adaptive techniques. Dr Chikkpam from the Indian Maize Research Institute, Begusarai, spoke on Bihar’s potential in maize seed production and encouraged farmers to cultivate baby corn and sweet corn. Bihar Animal Science University’s Deputy Director of Extension, Dr Pankaj Kumar, underscored the necessity of commercial farming for profitability and advocated sustainable use of natural resources.
Several officials, including District Agriculture Officer Prem Shankar Kumar, BAU Dean Dr S.K. Pathak, and Joint Director of Agriculture Shailendra Kumar, addressed the farmers. The event also recognised innovative farmers such as Ganesh Prasad (Jehanabad), Saket Ranjan (Saharsa), Rabi Anand (Kishanganj), and Sanjay Kumar (Gaya) for their contributions to agriculture. Winners of the Kisan Gyan Competition, including Vivek Kumar from Bikramganj, Rohtas, and Shivkumar Mishra from Munger, were also honoured.
The prestigious Gopal Ji Trivedi Award for excellence in agricultural extension was presented to Dr Rita Kumari, Senior Scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Patna, and Dr Aditya Kumar, Junior Scientist at Bihar Agricultural College.
A total of 150 stalls were showcased, with awards given for the best exhibits. At the university level, the Department of Agronomy secured first place, while the Departments of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, and Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, shared second place. The Agricultural Biotechnology College, Sabour, won the top prize among colleges, followed by Veer Kunwar Singh Agricultural College, Dumraon, and BPSAC, Purnia, which shared the second spot. The Research Directorate, BAU Sabour, received the first prize for innovative stalls, while the SubAgris project secured second place. Among agricultural science centres, the Sabour centre won first place, followed by Banka.
Private agricultural firms also received recognition, including Priyadarshini Silk, Flight Line, Baidyanath Polytube, NABARD, UCO Bank, VNR Seeds, Vasudha Seeds, Mali Seeds, Shri Radhe Angel, and Karuna Apiary.
Farmers were entertained throughout the fair with agricultural and folk songs performed by Bateshwar Das and his team.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Bihar Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Dr D.R. Singh expressed satisfaction over the event’s success, highlighting its role in empowering farmers with knowledge and resources. The Director of Extension Education extended gratitude to the participating farmers, companies, and organisers for their contribution to making the event a success.
