Chhattisgarh sets food grain production target at 9.5 mn tonnes for 2020-21

This is 3% above the output achieved in the previous crop season

Chhattisgarh had set a target to produce 9.5 million tonnes (MT) of food grain in the crop season 2020-21, up by about three per cent from the output achieved in the previous year.

The state had, however, failed to meet the target in the last crop season. As against the target of 9.32 MT, Chhattisgarh produced 9.2 MT of foodgrain. The acreage would remain unchanged as kharif crops would be taken in 482,000 hectares.

The sowing area of paddy in the state, which was once known as rice bowl of the country, had decreased by 5.27 per cent. This would not affect output as the emphasis would be on increasing productivity. A target to produce 8.44 MT of rice had been set. In the previous year, 8.34 MT of rice was produced.

The production of pulses and oilseeds would see a big swing with the state government emphasising on their promotion. A target to produce 187,000 tonnes of pulses had been set for 2020-21. That would be an 18.47 per cent from the previous year’s output.

Similarly, the acreage under oilseeds had been raised by 34.17 per cent. The state had set a target to produce 250,000 tonnes of oilseeds, pr 33.37 per cent more than the output achieved in the last crop season.

The maize production target has been set at 582,000 tonnes, up 14.59 per cent from the output recorded in the previous year.

According to the kharif prospects 2020, Chhattisgarh government would be giving thrust on crop diversification and enhancing productivity as there was no scope for horizontal expansion.