Good rains to usher in record paddy harvest in Chhattisgarh

The prediction of good monsoon in Chhattisgarh has powered the authorities to set a new record of paddy production in the state also known as rice-bowl of the country.

The mineral-rich state will produce 7.5 million tonnes of rice in the kharif season 2013 that will be a new record. The officials in the agriculture directorate though initially faltered while setting the target are now confident with the monsoon prediction for the state.

"The weather department had forecasted that the monsoon this year would be good that would help us to achieve the target set for the kharif 2013," Deputy Director in the Agriculture Directorate R K Chandravanshi said. The onset of monsoon in the state had also given a big respite.

The average rainfall of the state is 1327.1 millimeter (mm). As on June 20, the state had already received more than 200 mm-about 17 per cent of the total rains in the first fortnight of the season.