Sowing activity for Rabi crops has gone into full swing in Chhattisgarh, officials informed on Wednesday.
Till date, farmers have sown various crops on nearly 7.38 lakh hectares. This is 43 per cent of the target area for sowing in Rabi season.
The Agriculture Department has set the target of sowing food grain crops, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables on nearly 17 lakh hectares in the State.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed that the department has set the target of sowing wheat crop on 1.60 lakh hectares in this season . At present, wheat has been sown on nearly 50,000 hectares.
likewise, sowing of corn on 11,140 hectares area, and that of barley and other crops have been completed. Against the target of 3.50 lakh hectares, sowing of food crops have been completed on 66,000 hectare area.
Similarly, gram has been sown on 1.66 lakh hectare, peas have been sown on 20,000 hectare, lentils have been sown on 10 hectares, moong has been sown on 8 000 hectares, urad on 4,000 hectares, tiwra on 2.35 lakh hectares, kulthi in 20,000 hectares, and pulses and other crops on 5,075 hectares.
The Minister further informed that this year department is gearing up to sow pulses on 8.75 lakh hectares. Till date, sowing pulses crop has been completed on nearly 4.70 lakh hectares.
Agrawal informed that the department has proposed sowing of oilseed crops on 2.75 lakh hectares in Rabi season 2015-16.
At present, sowing of alsi, mustard, toriya, til, sunflower, kusum, peanut, and other oilseed crops on 1.17 lakh hectares have been completed.
The Minister informed that vegetables have been cultivated on 77,830 hectares. This year, department has also set the target of planting sugarcane on 30,000 hectare area.
The Chhattisgarh Government with a view to bringing about a much higher value addition in the quality of crops grown in the State had commenced distribution of organic manure to the farmers for the Rabi season.
The target is to distribute 5.84 lakh packets of PSB/PSM, Rigobiom and Ejectobector to the farmers, officials stated.
About 1.58 lakh packets of organic manure had already been given away to the farmers.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal earlier said that steps are being taken to encourage the farmers to adopt organic farming. The organic fertiliser is supplied on the predetermined prices only to the farmers, he said.
A new green revolution is awaiting to take place in insurgency-infested Dantewada district of Bastar with local farmers increasingly adopting organic farming methods.
During the last two years, the number of farmers in taking to organic methods of cultivation in the district has increased from 300 to 1000 due to the constant support of the Chhattisgarh Government, officials stated.
The acerage under organic farming has also increased from 240 hectares to 700 hectares. The district administration has started ‘Mocho Baari’ (My Home) project for the farmers of Balood, Bhusaraas and four other villages.
As many as 450 farmers of the district have been felicitated recently by Goa based social organisation named PGS Organic Council.
The per head average production of paddy in the district is increased as well. Earlier, it was about 15 to 20 quintals but now it is around 43 quintals.
The district administration is mulling to supply the locally grown organic rice to one of the malls in Raipur. Meanwhile, a group of organic farmers of the district have started selling their products in the market.
The administration is providing irrigational facilities to the farmers under the Mocho Baari scheme.
Chief Minister Raman Singh recently unveiled the organic rice brand ‘Aadim’ in this insurgency infested district at Javanga Village in Dantewada district.
Significantly, a group of farmers of the district are working on the production of the organically cultivated rice.
Singh while addressing a huge number of people at the village had stated that the efforts made on promoting education and organic farming in Dantewada district is now gaining popularity across the globe.
As many as 450 farmers engaged in organic farming were felicitated by the Chief Minister on the occasion.
Notably, the State Government's Agriculture Department has set the goal of distributing nearly 11 lakh metric tonnes of organic fertilisers to farmers this year.
As many as 19.58 lakh packets of organic fertiliser have also been distributed to farmers of State.
A State-level Monitoring cell was established at the Directorate of Agriculture in Raipur to keep track of the availability of basic ingredients for the Kharif season 2015.
The move was to ensure farmers are made available urea, seeds, high-quality farm implements, organic manure and other necessary material on time, officials stated.