Kharif sowing in Chhattisgarh touches 78% despite initial delay in monsoon

Despite the initial delay in arrival of the monsoon, farmers in Chhattisgarh have completed kharif sowing in over 78 per cent of the targeted acreage for the season.

The state government has targeted to grow kharif crops in 4.82 million hectares. The acreage has increased by 2.16 per cent compared to the previous kharif season. In the kharif season 2022, crops were sown in 4.71 million hectares.

“The sowing work has been completed in over 3.75 million hectares, which is about 78 per cent of the target set for the season,” a senior agriculture department official said.

Of it, paddy sowing has been completed in about 88 per cent of the targeted area, the officer added.

The state government has reduced the acreage of paddy from 3.9 million hectares to 3.6 million hectares for the current season. The 7.69 per cent fall in acreage is aimed at promoting cultivation of millets, pulses, and oilseeds. Officials expect that farmers will continue to grow the crop to get a better dividend.

The Bhupesh Baghel government is paying Rs 2,500 for a quintal of paddy procured from the farmers. 

In the last kharif season, the state set a record by procuring over 10.7 million tonnes of paddy from farmers at the minimum support price (MSP). This was higher than the previous record of 9.8 million tonnes in 2021-22.

The chief minister has increased the cap for procuring paddy per acre from 15 quintals to 20 quintals for the kharif season 2023-24. Officials feel better returns from paddy will deter farmers from shifting to other crops.

Chhattisgarh, which is among the top-10 rice-producing states in India, is the largest contributor of rice to the central pool after Punjab and Haryana.