Sowing for paddy crop had been completed in 80 per cent of the cultivable area in Chhattisgarh.
The information was provided by officials at the review meeting of Agriculture Department officials chaired by Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commission Ajay Singh at the Mantralaya here.
The officials informed that sowing for soyabean crop had been completed while for the pulses and oilseed crop, the same was in progress.
Agriculture Department officials also informed that target has been set to grow paddy on 36.45 lakh , corn on 2.25 lakh hectare, lentils on 1.42 lakh hectares, Urad on 1.64 lakh hectares, Soyabean on 1.58 lakh hectares and peanut on 55,000 hectares.
An amount of Rs1356.61 crore worth of loans had been distributed to 4.51 lakh farmers during the current Kharif season by the Chhattisgarh Primary Agriculture Co-Operative Committees, officials stated.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has assured the farmers that they will be provided with short-term farm loans at zero per cent interest rate.
As per the directives, the farmers are given loans in the form of cash amounting to 60 per cent and the rest as fertilizers, seeds.
Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Bank (Apex Bank ) Chairperson Ashok Bajaj said that all the 1,333 Co-operative committees are distributing loans to the farmers at zero per cent interest rate.
The process of giving loans had started on April 1 for the Kharif season. About 1356.61 crore worth of loans have been given away till June 30 to the farmers. This is about 51 per cent of the total loan disbursement.
The target is to disburse Rs2650 crore short-term loans during the current Kharif season. About 27,000 farmers had been given Rs75.25 crore short-term loans.
State-level Monitoring cell has been established at the Directorate of Agriculture in Raipur to keep track of the availability of basic ingredients for the Kharif season 2015.
The move is to ensure farmers are made available urea, seeds, high-quality farm equipment, organic manure and other necessary material, officials stated.