Raipur, 3 June 2021. In the Kharif season 2021, a new target has been set by the Agriculture Department for the sowing of pulses, oilseeds and other crops including paddy, maize, other cereals. Agriculture Minister Shri Ravindra Choubey said that this year the total area for sowing crops in Kharif season is 48 lakh 20 thousand hectare, which is about 13 thousand 640 hectare more than last year’s sown of 48 lakh 7 thousand 640 hectare. He informed that with the aim of promoting the production of paddy as well as other cereal crops in the state, it would be sown in 36 lakh 95 thousand 420 hectares by reducing the area under paddy by 5 percent, as compared to the last Kharif season. The sown area was 39 lakh 3 thousand 920 hectares. This year the target is to increase the area under maize by 25 percent and that of other cereal crops by 43 percent. Last year maize was sown in 2 lakh 6 thousand 630 hectares,
Agriculture Minister Shri Choubey informed that with a view to promote crop diversification in the state, a target has been set to increase the area under pulses by 20 percent and increase in area under oilseeds by 32 percent this year. An increase of 11 percent has also been proposed in the area under other crops. He said that last year, tur was sown in one lakh 19 thousand 300 hectares in the state, which has been increased to one lakh 29 thousand 670 hectares. This target is 17 percent more than the previous year. In the last Kharif season, urad was cultivated in one lakh 49 thousand 780 hectares, In which the target is to increase the area of its cultivation to one lakh 80 thousand 340 hectares this year, increasing by 20 percent. The area under other pulses crops is to be increased from 44 thousand 320 hectares to 56 thousand 660 hectares as compared to last year. Thus the total area under pulses crops is proposed to be increased to 3 lakh 76 thousand 670 hectares this year. In the last Kharif season, pulses were cultivated in 3 lakh 13 thousand 400 hectares. Thus, a total increase of 20 percent is proposed this year in the area under pulses.
The Agriculture Minister informed that the cultivation of oilseed crops like soybean, groundnut and other oilseed crops is being encouraged in the state. The area under oilseed crops is targeted to increase by 32 percent this year as compared to last year. In the last Kharif season, oilseed crops were cultivated in a total of one lakh 93 thousand 670 hectares in the state, which is targeted to be increased to 2 lakh 55 thousand 490 hectares this year.
Raipur: In the current Kharif, 25 percent increase in the area of maize and 43 percent increase in the area of other cereal crops is proposed.
