Bihar speeds up seed distribution; 6L quintals distributed to 1.7m farmers

Bihar's agriculture department has distributed 6.41 lakh quintals of seeds to 1.73 million farmers this rabi season, achieving 99% completion by December 14.

The state agriculture department has distributed 6.41 lakh quintals of seeds of all types to around 1.73 million farmers in the ongoing rabi season, which is one of the highest in recent years.

A wheat farmer in Bihar (HT FILE)

Department officials said the distribution of seeds at subsidised rates, especially of wheat in the rabi season this time had been completed by almost 99 per cent by December 14 unlike in previous years when the distribution used to be completed by December-end.

“We have distributed around 4.99 lakh quintals of wheat seeds this time. All the districts have been covered and farmers are getting benefitted by the early distribution of seeds through the Bihar Rajya Beej Nigam Limited,” said an official.

The distribution exercise is done before the kharif and rabi seasons in Bihar to help farmers replace seeds of the conventional crops for a better harvest. Official said the replacement rate after the distribution of seeds had reached around 50 per cent.

The wheat coverage target this rabi season is around 2.6 million hectares and the agriculture department is expecting a good harvest owing to cold conditions in the state coming early. “In parts of Kaimur, Rohtas and other districts, we have already completed the seed distribution for wheat and other crops despite the harvesting for kharif crop still going on. The exercise has been done as per the department’s initiative to provide better facilities to farmers,” said another official.

Officials said around 5.70 lakh farmers had got wheat seeds while 2.71 lakh farmers had got gram seeds followed by 5.59 lakh farmers getting lentil seeds and another 97,000 getting mustard seeds.

In 2024-25, the foodgrain production in Bihar as per the final estimate stood at 24.7 million metric tonnes, of which rice production stood at 9.9 million metric tonnes and wheat production stood at 7.8 million metric tonnes, as per the fourth and final estimate.