SEEDS, WATER, AND MARKETS TO INCREASE WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY IN BIHAR

Low and variable yields of wheat in the rice-wheat cropping systems of lower Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of South Asia, covering Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh (EUP) in India and the Terai region of Nepal, are a matter of significant concern for this densely populated region. Increasing the productivity and profitability of wheat is important for Bihar and EUP both for the income security of farmers and the food security of households.

Despite its importance to the state’s agrarian economy and food security, wheat yields and the gross value of output per hectare are the lowest in Bihar among all major wheat-producing states of India while the cost of production is high and the net profit from wheat cultivation is the lowest.

In this research note, the authors analyze the four major factors that contribute to low wheat yields in Bihar and recommend a three-pronged action plan to increase the productivity and profitability of the rice-wheat cropping system in the state.

Read the complete research note here

This brief is part of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), which is a regional initiative to sustainably increase the productivity of cereal-based cropping systems, thus improving food security and farmers’ livelihoods in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. CSISA works with public and private partners to support the widespread adoption of resource-conserving and climate-resilient farming technologies and practices. The initiative is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), implemented jointly with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the International Water Management Institute (IWMO) and is funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.