Patna, March 17: Bihar ministers seem to be riding high on the world record of 729 quintals of potatoes on a hectare created by a farmer in Nalanda.

At a seminar today, two state ministers stressed that the green revolution, which is showing positive results in the state, was not enough.

“The state is aiming to create a rainbow revolution rather than a green revolution by increasing investment just not in foodgrain but also in horticulture, dairy, fruits and vegetables despite the Centre not willing to help the state,” food and consumer protection minister Shyam Rajak today said.

The minister was addressing a seminar titled “Priorities and possibilities of investment for accelerating and stabilising agricultural growth in Bihar” in the state capital.

“The government is serious about improving agricultural growth and increasing self-sufficiency very soon despite the dismal support of the central government. Through the recent agriculture roadmap, Bihar is aiming to create a rainbow revolution rather than green revolution by increasing investment not only in foodgrain but also horticulture, dairy, fruits and vegetables,” the minister said.

Labour resource minister J.S. Sigriwal was also not far behind.

“Despite all financial and non-financial constraints, Bihar has provided record productivity in both rice and potato and the government is making all efforts to set examples in terms of providing importance and strengthening agriculture in the state. The investment in agriculture has been substantially increased; the government is conscious of the need for more and scaled-up investment in many sectors in agriculture and making all efforts to meet these requirements,” Rajak said.

However, P.K. Joshi, director, International Food Policy Research Institute, South Asia, an international think-tank on agriculture and food, said: “Bihar needs to match up fast with the changing trends of agriculture and agricultural research. Once this happens, the next step is to scale up investment in livestock, horticulture, and fisheries too,” Joshi said. Serious concerns exist about farmers’ plight in the state though.

Ramadhar, the former chairman of Bihar State Farmers’ Commission, said marketing infrastructure had collapsed and farmers were compelled to sell produce at throwaway prices in villages and the benefit of increased support prices went to middlemen.

Nitish Kumar, a farmer from Darveshpura village in Nalanda, has achieved the feat of producing 729 quintals of potato on one hectare. The record of maximum potato (535 quintals per hectare) produced on a hectare is at present held by the Netherlands.