Sowing of Rabi crops in Chhattisgarh is in the final stage, officials informed.
The State agriculture department had set the targets of sowing food grain crops, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables on nearly 17 lakh hectares of land in the ongoing Rabi season. As on January 18, farmers have completed sowing of various crops on nearly 13.74 lakh hectares, which is 82 per cent of the target.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed that in the ongoing Rabi season, sowing of wheat, paddy, barley and other food crops have been done on nearly 2.34 lakh hectares.
He informed that pulses such as grams, peas, lentils, moong, urad, tivra, kulthi and others are sown in Chhattisgarh and this year, farmers have sown pulses on nearly 7.87 lakh hectares of land.
Agrawal further informed that sowing of oilseed crops on two lakh three thousand hectares has also been completed and winter season vegetables have been sown on nearly 1.37 lakh hectares.
The agriculture department has started encouraging the farmers to sow more of pulses crop in Rabi season 2015-16. In this season, the department has set the sowing target for paddy , pulses, oilseed and vegetable crops in a total of 17 lakh hectares area, officials stated.
This includes the maximum area of 8.75 lakh hectares finalised for sowing of pulses crop. Agriculture minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed that in Rabi season 2015-16, the State Government has set the target of sowing pulses crop on 8.75 lakh hectares of area.
As per the given target, 3.60 lakh hectares have been marked for sowing gram, 30,000 hectares for lentils, 30,000 hectares for moong, 15,000 hectares for urad, 40,000 hectares for kulthi and 3.50 lakh hectares have been marked for sowing Tivra crop.
The Minister informed that two lakh hectares of area have been finalized for oilseeds crops and necessary preparations are underway.
This includes 1.50 lakh hectares for mustard, 70 ,000 hectares for Alsi, 10,000 hectares for Kusum, 15,000 hectares for sunflower, 5,000 hectares for sesame and and 25 hectares of land for sowing peanuts.
Agrawal informed that this year, only one lakh hectares of land will be utilized for paddy crop in summer. likewise, 1.60 lakh hectares of land will be utilised for cultivation of wheat and 85,000 hectares for corn.
He informed that this year, the Department has planned to utilize 1.65 lakh hectares of land for cultivation of vegetables in summer season.
This includes 35,000 hectares for sugarcane cultivation. Notably, a total of 54 villages had been selected from 27 districts of Chhattisgarh for ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ in the State.
Two villages in each district have been selected and a master plan has been drafted to conserve and make community use of water for the welfare of the entire village.
The State Government had already issued guidelines to various departments as to how to preserve and regulate maximum utilization of water. The villages had been coined as ‘Jalgram’ villages. People’s participation will be encouraged in these villages.
Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal said that Union Water Resources Ministry had launched ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ to conserve water in all the districts of the country.
He said the gap between supply and demand will be assessed in all the 54 selected villages. Efforts will be made to spread awareness among the masses regarding the conservation of water.
Women in the Panchayats will be encouraged to become ‘Jal Mitra’ in all the ‘Jalgram’ villages. To augment the supply of water ‘Neer Nari’ and ‘Jal Mitra’ will be made.