About 37% of kharif sowing completed in parts of Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Nearly 37 per cent sowing of various kharif crops, including oilseeds and pulses, has been completed in Chhattisgarh in the ongoing crop season.

"Farmers have completed sowing of kharif crops on around 13.88 lakh hectares of land against the proposed target of 48.20 lakh hectares in the state," an official statement said today.

The Bilaspur division is leading the chart with 37 per cent of the average sowing completed in its five districts, followed by Raipur division (35 per cent), Bastar (20 per cent) and Surguja division (12 per cent), it said.

Notably, the Chhattisgarh Agriculture Department has set the target of cultivating cereals, pulses, oilseeds and other crops on an area of 48.20 lakh hectares in the current kharif season.

The target has been set to grow paddy on 36.45 lakh hectares, corn on 2.25 lakh hectares, pulses on 3.79 lakh hectares and oilseeds on 3.44 lakh hectares.

Moreover, an amount of Rs 1,356.61 crore has been distributed to over 4.51 lakh farmers during the current kharif season by the Chhattisgarh Primary Agriculture Co-Operative Samitis.

Chief Minister Raman Singh has assured the farmers that they will be provided with short-term farm loans at zero per cent interest rate, the release said.

"A total of 1,333 samitis are giving loans to the farmers at zero per cent interest rate. The process of providing loans had started on April 1 for the kharif season and loan worth about Rs 1,356.61 crore was given away till June 30 to the farmers which is about 51 per cent of the total loan disbursement target," Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Bank (Apex Bank) chairperson Ashok Bajaj said.

The target is to disburse Rs 2,650 crore worth short-term loans during the current kharif season, he added.