Patna, Sept. 22: The state government is promoting the line sowing method to increase wheat productivity ahead of President Pranab Mukherjee’s proposed visit to Bihar in October to launch the agriculture roadmap.

At a state-level workshop today, the agriculture department tried to popularise the “pankti mein shakti” (strength in line sowing) method among agriculture department officials, who would then educate farmers on its benefits.

Inaugurating the workshop, agriculture minister Narendra Singh praised his officials for doing a good job in the past seven years. He said: “The state has recorded foodgrain production of 170 lakh metric tonnes last year. The agriculture department’s budget has now been pegged at Rs 2,200 crore from that of Rs 20 crore seven years ago. And now, our government has prepared a roadmap to boost agriculture production.”

“You (district officials) should hold a janata durbar to listen to the grievances of farmers so that they can be sorted out at block and district levels,” the minister said.