Bihar to explore potential of cooperative farming, teams to visit Gujarat

Bihar’s Cooperative Minister Pramod Kumar claimed on Monday, February 23, 2026, that teams of 50 members each associated with cooperative societies will be sent to Gujarat to study cooperative farming, with a view to exploring the potential of implementing “cooperative agriculture” in the state.

Addressing the media, Mr. Kumar claimed that the State has potential for cooperative farming due to small landholdings and said: “A team of 50 members each associated with the Ministry’s cooperative societies will visit Gujarat and see how people are carrying out cooperative farming and creating employment opportunities there (in Gujarat). After examining Gujarat’s cooperative farming, the teams will repeat the same in Bihar.”

Stating that Bihar has the potential to become a cooperative, the Minister said, “Farmers in the state do not have large lands anymore. Earlier, farmers had 100 decares, 150 decares, 200 decares of land, but now it is not like that. Now it is.” [land parcels] divided into smaller pieces of land. “We are exploring the potential for cooperative agriculture in the state.”

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The Minister was accompanied on the occasion by Dharmendra Singh, Secretary, Cooperative Department, Rajnish Kumar Singh, Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Ram Naresh Pandey, Additional Registrar, Cooperative Societies and others.

The cooperative has the potential to provide employment opportunities, Mr. Kumar said, adding that the department is exploring employment generation opportunities through cooperatives as they have the potential to create employment opportunities.

Giving the example of Gaya’s famous Tilkut business, he said that many companies in the region are making Tilkut preparations. Interestingly, much [sesame seeds] It is not produced in the state as it is imported from other states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal.

“After talking to farmers, we will investigate whether it is happening or not. much It can be produced through cooperative farming in Magadh district,” said Mr. Kumar.

Stating that he is reviewing paddy procurement in 22-23 districts of the state, Mr. Kumar said the ministry has purchased 29.22 lakh metric tonnes of paddy so far, which is 79.30% of the target of 36.85 lakh MT to be purchased in the current Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2025-26.

Paddy was procured from a total of 4.28 lakh farmers through 6,879 cooperatives and ₹ 6,400 crore was transferred to farmers’ bank accounts as Minimum Support Price (MSP), he added.

Meanwhile, the State’s cooperative department on Monday, February 23, 2026, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills (NFCSF), New Delhi, to revive two closed sugar mills at Sakri in Madhubani district and Raiyam in Darbhanga district of the state.

The MoU was signed at an event held at Deep Narayan Singh District Institute of Cooperative Management in Patna. It was held in the presence of Cooperative Minister Department Secretary and NFCSF Director General Prakash Naiknavare and others.

Both Sakri and Raiyam sugar mills have been closed since 1997. Raiyam mill was established in 1914 and Sakri mill was established in 1933.

Sakri sugar factory has 47 acres of land while Raiyam has 68 acres of land. Raiyam also has its own 14 km long tram line that extends to a place called Makdumpur.