Drought-hit Chattisgarh won't falter on rice contribution to Central pool

State is second largest contributor of rice to central pool; more than half its tehsils are declared drought-hit

Despite more than half of Chhattisgarh’s tehsils declared as drought-hit, the state’s share of rice to the Centre will remain unaffected in the kharif marketing season 2017-18.

Following scanty rainfall, 96 of the 149 tehsils in the leading rice-producing state have been declared as drought-hit. The paddy output is likely to be affected as against a target of producing 8.2 million tonnes (mt) of rice in the current marketing season.

Based on the visual assessment of crop damage, the state government is expecting that the rice output would be affected by about a million tonne this year. However, it would not affect the state’s contribution of rice to the Centre.

Chhattisgarh will be the second largest contributor of rice to the central pool for the kharif marketing season 2016-17. The rice procurement for the season is still in progress. According to Food Corporation of India (FCI) data, Chhattisgarh’s share will be about 12 per cent in the rice stock to the centre’s kitty.

The FCI data said that about 4.6 mt of rice had been procured from Chhattisgarh as against the total procurement of 38.7 mt as on September 18. After Punjab, Chhattisgarh ranks second followed by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. FCI procured about 11 mt of from Punjab.

“The state’s contribution of rice to the central pool would not be affected due to drought,” Deputy Director of Agriculture R K Chandravanshi said. The officials said the damage reported was based on the visual assessment that would be rectified once the state received good rainfall in the coming days.

Chandravanshi said the damage to the crops, because of less rainfall, could still be managed as the state was expecting good rainfall soon.