Patna: President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday urged Bihar’s farmers to take advantage of the rising demand for organic products and stressed that climate resilient agriculture can play an important role in tackling the challenge of climate change.

She was addressing a gathering after launching the fourth edition of the agricultural road map in the state at the Bapu Sabhagar auditorium in Patna.

Murmu, who arrived in Patna on a three-day visit to the state on Wednesday, spoke about implementing the three agriculture road maps in Bihar since 2008, which have increased the state’s productivity in several crops including paddy, wheat and maize and the state also leading in the production of mushroom, lotus seeds, honey and fish.

The fourth edition of the agricultural roadmap launched today will be implemented with total expenditure of ₹1.62 lakh crore in various schemes, projects from 2023 to 2028. Crop diversification, increasing production of oilseeds, millets, seeds production are the major sectors in focus in this current edition of the road map.

Among those who attended the function were Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav besides farmers and top officials of the state administration.

“ Farmers of Bihar are known for striving and adopting new experiments in farming. This is the reason why a Nobel prize winner called the farmers of Nalanda’ greater than scientists’,” Murmu said, adding that the state’s farmers have preserved the traditional methods of agriculture and varieties of grains. “It is a good example of the harmony of tradition with modernity,” Murmu said.

Referring to challenges of climate change and global warming, Murmu said Bihar had witnessed less rains in recent years, highlighting that water conservation is necessary in the state to maintain it’s identity as a water-rich state having rivers and ponds.

She also talked as how climate resilient agriculture could help to combat climate change and stressed that changes in farming pattern could promote bio-diversity, reduce exploitation of water resources , conserve soil fertility and deliver balanced food in the plates of people.

The President stressed that she herself belongs to family of farmers and intends to take up farming after her retirement and described herself as a “ Bihari’ for being aware of the state’s rich cultural tradition for long.

“ I have been Governor of Jharkhand for six years and my home state Odisha has been associated with Bihar historically. I have seen and experienced Bihar’s culture closely. This is why, I feel, I can call myself a Bihari. I will surely visit Bihar more regularly,” she said.

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Murmu, talking about the significance of agricultural road map, said Bihar’s contribution is important in fulfilling the dream of developed India. “ Bihar will have to set up a road map for the progress of the state and agricultural road map is part of it,” she said, adding that it would make her happier when Bihar is seen continuously moving on the path of progress by making a road map on every parametre of development.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar, in his speech, thanked the President for inaugurating the fourth agricultural roadmap and highlighted how the three earlier road maps had its impact in quantitatively increasing the production of paddy, maize, wheat and potatoes.

He also talked at length about how the first road map launched in 2008 successfully progressed by the launch of second and third road maps in 2012 and 2017, giving a boost to production of fish, vegetables and lotus seeds.

“ In the formulation of fourth agricultural road map, we have taken the feedback from farmers and also putting stress on care and treatment of cattle. We are going to open veterinary hospitals in each 8-10 panchayats,” Kumar said.