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Agriculture of Bihar, Crops, Agricultural Problems in Bihar

Agriculture of Bihar has been discussed here in this article. Get details of the Agriculture of Bihar, the Cropping System, and the Problems of Agriculture in Bihar.
authorImagePriyanka Gupta31 May, 2024
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Agriculture of Bihar

Agriculture of Bihar: This sector is ready for expansion, as India is currently among the greatest agricultural producers in the world in terms of value. Bihar is one of India's leading agricultural states, employing over 60% of the workforce and contributing over 17% of the country's GDP.

But on the eve of independence, Bihar's agricultural sector was in a very sorry condition of affairs in terms of the Indian economy. Agriculture, the most important industry, was facing stagnation and economic deterioration. In terms of GDP contribution and as a source of employment for the majority of the population, agriculture plays a major role in the Indian economy.

Agriculture of Bihar

Agriculture of Bihar: Bihar is situated in the river lowlands of the Ganges River basin. It boasts a wealth of groundwater resources and productive alluvial soil. Bihar's agriculture is therefore rich and varied. Rice, wheat, and corn are the three principal cereal crops. Bihar is the home of pulses such arhar, urad, moong, gram, pea, lentils, and khesari. Bihar is a major producer of potatoes, onions, eggplants, and cauliflower. Regarding fruit production, it ranks third in the world for pineapple, first for lychee, and significantly higher for mango, banana, and guava. Two additional significant revenue crops in Bihar are jute and sugarcane.

Agriculture of Bihar Cropping System

Sixty percent of Bihar's land area is under cultivation. This percentage is far higher than India's national average of 42%. There are two reasons why such a large percentage of land might be under cultivation. First off, Bihar is mostly a plain area with good agricultural potential. Second, the woodland had been mostly cleared for agriculture during the preceding two millennia. Presently, woods cover about 6 percent of the land. Although South Bihar is a thriving agricultural center, North Bihar is limited by its physical susceptibility to floods and droughts. In the south, the Ahar-Pyne Agriculture of Bihar System has been used for crop production for a very long time.

Agriculture of Bihar Food Grains

Rice is farmed in every district in Bihar. Autumn rice, Aghani rice, and summer rice are the three varieties of rice that are grown at different times of the year. The average yearly production of rice is about 5 million tonnes. Fifty years ago, most of western Bihar was home to wheat agriculture. Due to the success of the "green revolution," Bihari farmers expanded the amount of wheat they planted, and today it's the primary crop of the rabi season. The yearly production of wheat is between 4 and 4.5 million metric tons. In addition, maize is farmed, with an output trend that is consistently increasing and an average yearly production level of about 1.5 million metric tons. The primary producing regions are Saharsa and Khagaria.

Agriculture of Bihar Horticulture

Bihar is one of India's leading producers of fruits and vegetables, with 9.8 and 6.7 percent of the country's total production, respectively. It ranks third among other states in terms of producing fruits and vegetables, and sixth overall.

Agriculture of Bihar Fruticulture

Bihar is one of the major producers of fruits and vegetables in the country. Bihar produces 71% of all litchi produced annually in India. Makhana, which is grown on about 5000 hectares across the country, produces 90% of the fox nuts used worldwide. It scores well for mango, banana, and guava production, and it ranks third for pineapple output. Due to the higher financial returns, few farmers in Bihar are moving to strawberry growing. Growing kamalam (dragon fruit) has also been encouraged by a higher economic return for farmers. Nowadays, only a few of farmers in Bihar grow corrigendum, one of the most costly crops in the world.

Agriculture of Bihar Animal Husbandry

  • The Dairy Co-operative was founded in 1983 to supervise the operations of multiple local milk unions.
  • The government formally opened Nalanda, the largest automation-based dairy plant in eastern India, in 2013.
  • Sudha came into being as a result of the White Revolution. By the end of the following three to four months, the organization planned to establish two more dairy factories in the districts of Bhagalpur and Purnea, with a combined capacity of 2 lakh liters per day. This agreement was made in January 2021.
  • The construction of new plants would increase the income of the milk producers in the area.
  • In 2020, the Bihar government started running a 300 MT animal feed mill and a 5 lakh liter dairy facility per day in Bihian.
  • The government had granted Comfed the first installment of Rs 53 crore, out of a total of Rs 234 crore, for the building of dairy facilities and animal feed plants around the state.
  • In 2018, Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation, also known as Sudha, aimed to consolidate its market in Guwahati before expanding to other Northeastern states.

Problems of Agriculture in Bihar

Despite being one of the top producers of fruits and vegetables, the state of Bihar nevertheless faces a variety of challenges related to agriculture. The following problems keep the state from realizing its full potential:
  • Inconsistent Monsoon
  • Lack of marketing and food processing facilities forces farmers to sell their products for less than their true value.
  • Because seeds are so expensive, most farmers—especially small and marginal farmers—do not have access to high-quality seeds.
  • Weeds Because of the high risk and unpredictability of the agro-climatic zones, prices, productivity, etc., investing in the agricultural sector has become difficult.

Agriculture of Bihar FAQs

Q1. What is Bihar’s contribution to Makhana production?

Ans. Bihar contributes 85% of national Makhana production.

Q2. When was the dairy cooperative of Bihar established?

Ans. The Dairy Co-operative was established in 1983.

Q3. What percentage of Bihar’s sown area is covered by vegetable farming?

Ans. Approximately 11% of the state's gross sown area is currently covered by vegetable farming.

Q4. What percent of India’s litchi is produced in Bihar?

Ans. 71% of India's annual litchi production is produced in Bihar.
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