National Banana Research Centre to be set up in Bihar

HAJIPUR(BIHAR): The National Research Centre for Banana would be set up at Goraul in Bihar's Vaishali district, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.

The centre will be set up soon. The land for this purpose was allotted when Jitan Ram Manjhi was the Chief Minister, he said.

Singh, accompanied by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, announced this while inaugurating a two-day 'Horti-Sangam' 2016 organised by National Horticulture Board at Hajipur, the district headquarters of Vaishali.

Farmers from more than a dozen states put fruits, vegetables, flowers and processed items on display and for sale at the event.

The process of taking over Rajendra Agriculture University in Bihar, which got Central University status recently, will be completed within a month or two, Singh said.

A bill to upgrade the university to a Central university was passed in the last session of Parliament.

Stressing that the state's atmosphere and land are fit for horticulture development, Paswan said, a food processing industry would be set up in Hajipur or its adjoining area, provided the state government cooperates on this.