About 14.57 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of paddy has arrived in the various Government paddy procurement centres across the State as on Tuesday evening, officials stated.
The Government paddy procurement exercise commenced on November 16 and will continue till January 31, 2016. The Minimum Support Price for common (thick) paddy is fixed at Rs1,410 per quintal and Grade-A (Fine) paddy is fixed at Rs1,450 per quintal.
About 1,976 centres had been opened at 1,287 Co-Operative Committees in the entire State. Meanwhile, the State Agriculture Department has set sowing target in 17 lakh hectares of land for Rabi season 2015-16.
The crops being taken up for sowing are food grains, oilseeds, pulses and vegetables. Before Diwali, sowing was completed in an estimated 2.35 lakh hectares which is 14 per cent of the overall sowing target, officials stated.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal stated that a target of sowing food grain crops in 3.50 lakh hectares had been set in which 1.60 lakh hectares would be for wheat, one lakh hectares for paddy and 85,000 hectares for maize.
Before Diwali, sowing was completed in 910 hectares of land for wheat and 3,610 hectares for maize, he said.
Notably, the Agriculture Department has started encouraging the farmers to sow more of pulses crop in Rabi season 2015-16.
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 Agriculture Minister informed that two lakh hectares of area have been finalised 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.
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, there had been an increase of 20 per cent in Maize crop acreage in Chhattisgarh during the past 10 years.
Maize is the second-most sought after crop after paddy preferred by farmers in Chhattisgarh. The crop is used in cornflakes, oil extraction, starch, making popcorn, organic fuel and for many other purposes, officials stated.
Notably, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has built up storage capacity of 25,270 metric tonnes (MT) at its godowns in Chhattisgarh so far, officials stated.
The storage capacity under construction in the State is estimated to be 67,040 MT during the current financial year, officials stated.The capacities are being built up under Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) scheme under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
Total storage capacity available with FCI for storage of foodgrains in the country as on October 31, 2015 is 366.87 lakh MT.
New storage godowns are being constructed with Plan funds in Plan Scheme and also with the help of private investors in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
FCI will also now put in place a ‘Quality Assurance Mechanism’ for ensuring superior quality of food grains are received at its godowns in Chhattisgarh.
It would soon seek services of a ‘Service Provider’ to be selected by it for Quality Assurance and checking of food grains during receipt, their preservation and maintenance, despatches and also issue of food grains from FCI godowns in the State, officials stated.