Patna: Agriculture minister Prem Kumar on Tuesday underlined the importance of poultry farming and said it was fast emerging as an industry in rural areas.

He was speaking at the inaugural of a training programme organised by the department in which 200 people associated with layer farming (egg poultry farming) took part.

"We are working on a plan that aims to make Bihar self-reliant in egg production. In the third agricultural roadmap a skill development programme for layer farmers has been started," Kumar said while addressing the trainees.

Bihar largely depends on Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu to meet its local demand for eggs. Bihar produces a little over one-and-a-half million eggs daily from its own poultry farms while the state's daily requirement is of 28 million eggs.

The minister also said that in a state like Bihar where land is scarce, the egg business could prove to be a very good source of income.

Organic exports

Very soon organically produced vegetables from Bihar would be exported to Kuwait, the minister said.

He said that cargo facilities would be developed at Patna airport for exporting the vegetables to the Gulf country where vegetable prices are 10 times higher than the local market.

"The Airports Authority Of India has already given consent for developing the cargo facility," Prem said.

The minister had met a delegation from Kuwait led by Arshad Mohsin, adviser to the fruit and vegetable traders association of Kuwait.

Mohsin also invited the Bihar minister to Kuwait in October this year.

Kumar said he was confident that the export of vegetables to Kuwait would help in a big way in improving the income of Bihar's farmers.