Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar distributed advance agriculture input subsidy for organic vegetable farming on Saturday, making Bihar the first state to do so in the country, and said the target was to achieve first position in vegetable production.

Advance input subsidy of Rs 6,000 each for organic farming was given to 20,173 farmers in Samastipur, Nalanda, Patna and Vaishali districts. The money went directly to the bank accounts of the cultivators.

"Input subsidy of Rs 6,000 to farmers for a maximum of 30 decimals of land on the riverside in four districts has been distributed as a pilot project. We have opted to promote organic farming on either side of the Ganga and formed an organic corridor in which there are total of nine districts," Nitish said.

Nitish was speaking at the programme for subsidy distribution organised at Samrat Ashok Convention Kendra. Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, agriculture minister Prem Kumar, principal agriculture secretary Sudhir Kumar Singh and several others were present on the occasion.

The chief minister added that advance input subsidy will be continued in the next season too so that farmers are attracted towards organic farming. "We will increase the subsidy if needed. If the experiment succeeds, we will implement it in entire Bihar and expand it to other crops beyond vegetables," he said.

Nitish said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had already been signed with Sikkim, which will certify organic vegetable produce. This will help in its marketing and sale. Pointing that implementation of the third agriculture roadmap was going on at a fast pace, the chief minister asserted that the aim was to take Bihar to the first position in vegetable production. "Our state ranks third in vegetable production and there are huge possibilities. Very soon we will be at the second spot and our target is to ace production," Nitish said.

He also asserted the need to ensure proper marketing and processing of vegetables to promote their farming. "Cooperative societies are working at three levels in this regard to provide market and send remaining vegetables for processing," he added.

Organic veggies grown in Nalanda have attracted people beyond our country, including economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, who have praised the skills and aptitude of farmers. Traders from Mumbai and Calcutta come to Nalanda to buy produce from the village that surprised Stiglitz.

Nitish said the state government was going ahead with survey settlement, which will finally lead to an increase in the average size of farm plots and production.

"We are also paying attention to providing eight hours of electricity to farmers through agriculture feeders for irrigation purposes. However, we will continue with diesel subsidy for irrigation till the electricity supply arrangements are not fully complete."