RAIPUR: In an attempt to promote crop diversification, the CG Govt reduced the acreage of summer paddy to zero for the upcoming rabi season. “The target of summer paddy area has been reduced to zero in the crop-sowing program set by the agriculture department for the rabi season this year,” a state government spokesperson said.

The move by the CG govt determines to discourage farmers from only paddy cultivation and propel crop diversification and go for wheat, gram, and peas in this season. As opposed to the last Kharif season, the state administration for the Kharif Marketing Season 2022-23 also reduced the paddy acreage. The state reaped around 3.3 million hectares of paddy in the current marketing season as opposed to 3.8 in the previous season.

In an attempt to motivate farmers for diversified crop cultivation, the Bhupesh govt had earlier announced to procure arhar (pigeon pea), moong (green gram), and urad (black gram) at minimum support prices (MSPs) in the Kharif marketing season 2022-23.

Farmers per quintal of Moong and Urad are being issued Rs 6,6000 while the Arhar dal is procured at Rs 7,755 per quintal. The procurement began last month through the Chhattisgarh State Co-operative Marketing Federation (Markfed).