Patna, March 8: Nationwide manufacturers of modern agricultural equipment and state farmers, both of whom took part in the five-day agriculture mechanisation fair, Agro Bihar 2011, went back satisfied when it ended today.

Good sales brought smiles on the faces of the manufacturers while farmers benefitted from the kisan pathshala (training camps organised for farmers) apart from buying modern equipment at the fair. The department of agriculture had organised the events and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had managed the fair.

Bihar Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (Bameti) director R.K. Sohane said: “A minimum of 20,000 farmers visited the fair and were benefited to a great extent. At least 30 farmers had to come from each block and there are 534 blocks in total. The stalls of different modern equipment, kisan pathshala and live demonstration of equipment were the highlights of the fair.”

The government provided subsidy on the purchase of farming equipment.

Four kisan pathshalas were held in different corners of the fair. Not only did the farmers from all across the state opted for the demonstration of different equipment but they also clarified their queries.

Films on agriculture and farming were showcased at the kisan pathshalas.

Training the farmers, Jeetendra Kumar, an agricultural engineering scientist from KVK, Gaya said: “Farmers are explained how the various farming equipment work. These are mainly weeders and inter-cultural equipment.”

A farmer, Mubarak Hussain, from Jholabathna village of Amdabad block in Katihar, said: “The rotavator fascinated me a lot, it does away with the need of repeated ploughing. A single ploughing softens the mud and seeds can be sown.”

Manufacturers from across the country were happy with the sale, Rajinder Singh from Sangrur district of Punjab, managed to sell all his three zero till seed cum fertilizers. Demand is more. Just few rotavators are left.

Praising the efforts of the government, Singh said: “We are happy to come here for the first time and returning with good turnover. The people and security in Bihar are good unlike what we heard for years.”

Addressing a press meet organised by CII at the fair, CII-Bihar chapter president Satyajit Singh said: “Mechanisation fairs should be organised at the commissionary and district levels so that farmers do not have to come to Patna to attend them. The beneficiaries will also increase in that case.”

The farm mechanisation report and exhibitors’ directory, that included the details of the participants in the fair, were also released.