Chhattisgarh

• 21 Jan 2023

Chhattisgarh Became the Second Largest State to Give Maximum Paddy in Central Bridge

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel informed that Chhattisgarh has become the second largest state in the country to deposit the highest amount of paddy in the central pool in the current Kharif marketing season.

Key points

• Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel described it as a big achievement and said that for four consecutive years, Chhattisgarh is constantly creating new records in the agriculture sector. This is the result of the hard work of the farmers and their trust in farming.
• He said that this year a new record of paddy procurement is also being set in the state. So far, 103 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured. He expressed hope that the estimated figure of 110 lakh metric tonnes will also be crossed by the scheduled deadline of January 31.
• According to the report released by the Government of India on January 15, Chhattisgarh had contributed 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the central bridge. It has become the second state to collect the most paddy this season.
• The Chief Minister said that due to the farmer-friendly policies of the state government, there has been a pleasant change in agriculture and the lives of farmers. In order to promote crop productivity and crop diversification in the state, apart from the 'Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana' run by the Chhattisgarh government, 'Godhan Nyay Yojana', 'Suraji Gaon Yojana', farmers' loan waiver, irrigation tax waiver have given a new strength to the farmers of the state. Due to which the number of farmers and agricultural area in the state is constantly increasing.
• He said that due to the farmer friendly schemes of Chhattisgarh Government, the number of registration of farmers has increased continuously in these four years. This year, 24.96 lakh farmers have registered, of which 2.30 lakh are new farmers. To facilitate the sale of paddy to the farmers, 135 new procurement centers were started in the state this year, due to which the total number of procurement centers has increased to 2617.

Agriculture Minister Inaugurated 'Millet Cafe' at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey inaugurated the newly built 'Millet Cafe' at the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University campus in Raipur.

Key points

• Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey told that in this 'Millet Cafe' various dishes made from Kodo, Kutki, Ragi and other Small Grain Crops - Idli, Dosa, Doha, Upma, Bhajiya, Kheer, Halwa, Malt, Cookies are made from these. Traditional dishes of Chhattisgarh, Thethri, Khurmi, Arsa, Chakoli, Sevai, Pidhiya etc. will be available to the general public. Apart from this, other products made from small grain crops will also be available for sale.
• He informed that 'Millet Cafe' has been started to create awareness among the general public about small grain crops and to promote their use. This will be the first millet cafe to be run by a university in the country.
• This 'Millet Cafe' will be operated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Raipur and small grain dishes made by various women self-help groups will be sold here.
• It is noteworthy that keeping in view the nutritional and healthy values of small grain crops, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the 'Millet Year' to promote its use.