Paddy arrivals at Chhattisgarh Government’s 1,976 procurement centers stood at 18.76 lakh metric tonnes as on December 11 this year, officials informed.
The paddy procurement drive which started on November 16 would continue till January 31 next year.
Meanwhile, sowing activity for Rabi crops has gone into full swing in Chhattisgarh, officials informed .
Till date, farmers have sown various crops on nearly 7.38 lakh hectares as on December 9 this year. 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 . Presently, 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.
Presently, 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.
Agrawal had earlier stated that steps are being taken to encourage the farmers to adopt organic farming.
The organic fertilizer is supplied on 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.