CHHATTISGARH: Chhattisgarh has created opportunities out of the new normal in the Covid year when death and economic uncertainty have lurked all around, straining the resources and hitting at the very base of rural sustenance: agriculture. To its credit, the state has recorded the highest paddy procurement on Minimum Support Price (MSP) since the state was carved out from Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000.
As lockdown caused hundreds of migrants to return home and take to farming, the state strengthened its procurement mechanism and lifted the stocks, in turn benefitting the distressed farmers. Cited as the ‘rice bowl of central India’, the state during the kharif year 2020-21 has procured over 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. A record 95.38% of the registered farmers have sold their produce on MSP. As per official figures, 20.53 lakh farmers of the 21.52 lakh sold paddy this year from December 1, 2020 to January 31, the duration fixed for paddy procurement.
“Being the son of a farmer, I can empathise with farmers in a crisis”, says Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. He visited various procurement centres and sought feedback from the farmers. The state’s debt waiver of Rs 6,100 crore for 16.65 lakh farmers helped them overcome the financial dilemma in a big way. Most paddy growers accessed their savings to fall back on during a difficult situation. During the present Kharif year, besides 10% more farmers turning up to sell their paddy, the state witnessed a significant increase in the net sown area by over 6% compared to the previous year.
The state recorded a substantial 10% rise in paddy production. “Trusting assured returns, more and more villagers have taken to farming. With a procurement mechanism in place, they accessed it with the MSP of Rs 2,500 per quintal besides the additional support extended under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana. There was no impediment amid the pandemic. The supply chain was strengthened through consistent monitoring,” says M. Geetha, secretary (agriculture) and commissioner-agriculture production.
During the pandemic, the people returned to their villages and took to farming as no other economic activity was feasible. “Despite adverse circumstances, we ensured adequate arrangements for purchasing paddy. The Kisan Nyay Yojana facilitated capital improvement and helped over 19 lakh farmers. It enhanced their farms’ worth and simultaneously brought more areas under cultivation. By ensuring irrigation facilities, the paddy production went up substantially,” said Ravindra Choubey, Agriculture Minister.
The ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’ of the state government aimed to procure cow dung at Rs 2 per kg from the livestock and dairy owners and selling vermi-compost at Rs 8 led to enhanced liquidity in rural areas. Another flagship scheme Narwa-Garwa-Guruwa-Badi created better cattle livestock management and safeguarded the crops from them, said the agriculture secretary. Various alternative measures were made to deal with the shortage of gunny bags at the procurement centres. Farmers have been quickly paid through an online system.
Besides, Chhattisgarh didn’t figure among the risk zones for locust attacks as it took prompt measures on the eve of the kharif crop season. “Counter measures were taken with steady surveillance,” a government spokesperson said. A well-distributed timely rain brought cheers to farmers who secured their bumper paddy crop. The farmers didn’t face any shortage of labour or crisis on input availability. “We kept ourselves informed, followed the expert recommendations and utilised the financial assistance wisely,” says Hetram Sahu from Rajnandgaon district. For many the state-level helpline number proved helpful. “The action was prompt with waiting time reduced at procurement centres,” said a farmer.