"The rabi sowing has been completed in about 60 per cent area of the total acreage set for the season," senior officials with the agriculture department said. The targeted area for Rabi crops in Chhattisgarh for 2013-14 is 1.87 million hectare that is 8 per cent higher over last year's crop coverage.
The officials said the area coverage under Rabi crops mainly depends on September-October rains as around 80 per cent Rabi crops are grown under rainfed condition.
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The production target had also been increased by six per cent this year.
As against last year's production of 2.02 million tonnes, the department had set a target to produce 2.15 million tonnes of foodgrains from the Rabi crops in 2013-14.
While the acreage of wheat has been increased by five per cent from 161,030 hectare to 170,000 hectare this year, the acreage of summer paddy had been curtailed by nearly 10 per cent.
The officials said summer paddy under the Rabi crop coverage for 2013-14 would be taken in 200,000 hectares of area as against last year's 231,020 hectare.
The acreage of other pulses that include moong, urd, lentil and horse gram had been enhanced nearly to double the acreage set for the last year. As against 2012-13 acreage of 23920 hectares, the other pulses would be sowed in 45910 hectares.
The agriculture department has issued an advisory to the farmers to harvest the paddy following favourable climatic condition ahead.