New Delhi: With the aim of rapid progress of the agriculture sector in the country, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has initiated state-wise discussions, under which the Union Minister held a meeting with a high-level delegation including Bihar Agriculture Minister, Mangal Pandey at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday. The Union Minister assured to review the allocation of funds under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and National Food Security Mission (NFSM) to Bihar and called for new proposals in this regard. Chouhan also called for a review to ensure a smooth supply of seeds for the Kharif season and early planning for the supply of Rabi seeds.
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Union Agriculture Minister Chouhan discussed with Bihar Agriculture Minister Pandey the various schemes and programmes of the agriculture ministry. Union Minister Chouhan said that the farmers of Bihar would not be allowed to face any problem at the Central level. The Union Minister asserted that both the Centre and the state should work as a team to improve the agriculture sector in the country and look for solutions in a concerted way. The Agriculture Minister of Bihar called for the need to strengthen Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the state and the Union Minister assured that he would review the functioning of KVKs. Pandey highlighted the production potential for maize and makhana in the state and called for Central support to realise it.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ramnath Thakur along with senior officials of the Central and state agriculture and horticulture departments were also present. Earlier, to review the preparations for the Kharif season, the Union Minister had met agriculture ministers of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.