28, September 2025

STATUS OF AGRICULTURE AND PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTH BIHAR PLAIN

VOLUME-9; ISSUE-9; SEPT-2025

Author(s): PUJA KUMARI

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INDEPENDENT RESEARCHER

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202509011     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202509011


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Agriculture in the South Bihar Plain, though vital for food security and rural livelihoods, faces persistent challenges such as fragmented and uneconomical landholdings, overdependence on erratic monsoons, and stark district-level disparities in irrigation. The region’s vulnerability to recurrent floods and droughts, coupled with soil degradation and low adoption of organic and climate-resilient practices, further undermines sustainability. Market and infrastructural gaps constrain farmers’ capacity to diversify and modernize. To address these issues, sustainable pathways must focus on revitalizing traditional water systems like Ahar–Pyne alongside promoting micro-irrigation and efficient water management, while encouraging crop diversification, agroforestry, and climate-smart technologies such as drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties. Policy realignment toward natural and organic farming, capacity-building for smallholders, and the expansion of farmer producer organizations are crucial for strengthening resilience. Digital and precision agriculture, supported by government initiatives, can improve resource use and market linkages. In conclusion, the region requires a multi-pronged approach that integrates technological innovations, ecological balance, and socio-economic inclusivity to transform agriculture from a subsistence-based system into a sustainable and competitive sector, ensuring long-term productivity and rural prosperity.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, NET IRRIGATED AREA , AGRO FORESTRY, BIODIVERSITY, FOOD SECURITY,

PUJA KUMARI (2025); Status Of Agriculture and Pathway to Sustainable Agricultural Development in The South Bihar Plain, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 9,   Issue –  9,  Pp.54-64.        Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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