Paddy productivity falls in Chhattisgarh

Productivity of paddy has come down in Chhattisgarh, the rice bowl of the country, in the kharif season of 2009-10.

The production of paddy is also decreasing in the state over the years. Officially, the paddy production had come down by about a million tonne as compared to the production achieved last year.

The paddy production is likely to be 7.4 million tonnes this year while last year, state produced 8.2 million tonnes of paddy as against the target of 9.1 million tonnes, deputy director in the directorate of agriculture RK Chandravanshi told Business Standard.

The productivity of paddy was also hit. "As against last year's 1,517 kilogram (kg) per hectare, the productivity this year has come down to 1,400 kg per hectare," Chandravanshi said. In 2007-08, Chhattisgarh had recorded paddy productivity of 1,650 kg per hectare.

The agriculture officials, however, attribute the nature's fury for the fall in production and productivity of paddy. Chandravanshi said the dry spell during monsoon was one of the reasons for decrease in the productivity, but the production target of 7.4 million tonnes would be achieved.

The agriculture experts, however, contended the claims of officials and said the production would not cross 7 million tonnes. "The paddy production is not going to be more than 5.4 million tonnes," Sanket Thakur, chairman of Agricon, an NGO working in agriculture sector said.

“Last year, the state had produced 5.8 million tonnes. If the government's claim of 7.4 million tonnes is true, then where is the paddy stock going,” Thakur wondered. The government had procured only 3 million tonnes at minimum support price (MSP) so far and there was no reason for the farmers to sell it outside when government was paying handsomely, he explained.