AGRICULTURE SCENARIO AND STRATEGIES FOR BIHARS DEVELOPMENT

Agriculture is at the core of Bihars economy, employing 77 % of the work force and generating 35 % of the state domestic product. With 88 % of the states poor living in rural areas, improving agricultural performance and related rural non-farm activity is critical for improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. Major crops grown in Bihar are rice, wheat, maize, gram, red gram, sugarcane, potato & other vegetables. However, the agricultural sector in Bihar is plagued with numerous, and well known, constraints and problems. Bihars agricultural development in the latest 15 years between 2005-06 and 2019-20, presents a mixed picture. Agriculture growth was around 4.7 per cent, which was above the national average of 3.6 per cent and in the latest five years, its performance was even more commendable, with an average annual growth rate of 7.1 per cent. However, agriculture productivity of two of its major crops, rice and wheat, is lower than the national average, despite the relatively high private investment in yield augmenting inputs such as fertilizers, certified seeds, tube wells and farm machines.