Government launches two key schemes to boost state farmers’ income

Patna: The state govt, in collaboration with the Gates Foundation, on Tuesday launched two major initiatives – the Bihar Aquaculture Improvement Programme and the Bihar Dairy Transformation Project – aimed at modernising and strengthening the fisheries and dairy sectors in the state.“Both programmes will boost rural livelihoods, enhance farmers’ income and promote technology-driven, inclusive development,” a state govt official told TOI during the launch.Presiding over the launch event, minister for dairy, fisheries and animal resources Surendra Mehta said the state govt is continuously working to increase farmers’ income and is fully committed to the development of the animal husbandry and fisheries sectors.

He said these initiatives align with the govt’s vision of a “Developed Bihar” and would accelerate growth in dairy, fisheries and allied sectors in the coming years.Speaking on the occasion, chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit said Bihar has been performing consistently well in the dairy and fisheries sectors and that collaboration with the Gates Foundation would further strengthen these areas. He said the projects would also make a significant contribution to the state govt’s ‘Seven Resolves – Part-3’ which was approved by the state cabinet on Tuesday.

Additional chief secretary of the department, N Vijayalakshmi said modern technologies are being deployed with the support of the Gates Foundation to improve animal health and enhance milk and fish production in the state. She noted that exports of Sudha dairy products have now commenced to foreign countries as well.She explained that the Bihar Dairy Transformation Project would focus on fodder security, animal breeding, milk quality and dairy product development, while the Bihar Aquaculture Improvement Programme would emphasise modernisation and scientific management of the fisheries sector.Development commissioner Mihir Kumar Singh, representatives of the Gates Foundation and senior departmental officials were present at the event.