Govt sends 191 farmers for training to top institutes

Patna: State agriculture minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday sent 191 farmers from six districts for training and tour to the country’s prestigious institutes to learn new techniques in agricultural practices and marketing.
An introductory function was held at Krishi Bhavan at Mithapur (Patna) on Sunday, where the farmers from Gaya district were present, while those from the remaining five districts joined virtually.Agriculture department secretary Sanjay Kumar Agrawal asked the officials of Bihar Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute to organise inter-district exposure programmes for the farmers to give them exposure to innovative farming practices.
“Farmers from every district would be sent to the prestigious institutes for training. Training would also be imparted in the production of ‘aanwla’, papaya, lemon and Kharif onion,” Agrawal said.
The training and tour programme has been organized under the scheme of agricultural technology management agency (ATMA). “It will familiarize the farmers with innovations in agricultural and marketing practices. The aim is to help them double their income by adopting new techniques. This is important, because the share of agriculture and allied activities in the gross state domestic product (GSDP) is 14%,” Pandey said.
As many as 19 farmers departed for tour from Munger, 50 from Katihar, Samastipur (30), Gaya (22), Siwan (40) and Lakhisarai (30). After the introductory function, agriculture minister Pandey sent off 22 farmers from Gaya, while the rest of them will depart from their district headquarters.
The farmers from Munger would get training in integrated farming at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, and those from Katihar at Birsa Krishi University, Ranchi and farmers from Samastipur in production, packaging and marketing of mango and guava in UP.