HimVani
Shimla (Aug 8): Despite erratic monsoon prevailing in the state, paddy sowing is about to complete in Himachal Pradesh and the state has laid a target of 1,15,000 metric tonnes (MT) productions by bringing 40000 hectare under its cultivations.
Himachal, contributing just a fraction to the national foodgrain stock, has set a target of 2,21,940 MT after bring one lakh hectare area under ‘Kharif’.
State government information officer BR Chauhan told HimVani that Kangra district leads in paddy production and is likely to achieve 64,000 MT paddy production in the finical year 2011-12 as sowing is about to complete in 36,700 hectare area out of 99,000 hectare arable land in the district alone.
Developmental Block Bhawarna, Nagrota, Bangwa, Nurpur, Fetehpur, and Baijnath in Kangra district and Bilaspur, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur, Kullu, Solan and Shimla district are known for rice yields in the foothills along rivers and rivulets. Kangra
contributed 62,100 MT paddy last year and is likely to cross the target
due to good sowing.
To encourage farmers toward high quality rice production, the state agriculture department has released 1,560 quintal seed this year on subsidized rate of Rs 5 per kilogram. Rice verities like ‘Kasturi Basmati’ and HPR-1156, HPR-1068 and HPR-2143 are prominently being grown in the state.
Production of paddy, which was just 26,300 MT in year 1951-52, has now gone up to 1,13,540 MT (last year 2010-11). State also produces maize to the tune of 1,56,200 MT including pulses of 1950 MT as Kharif crop.
