Chhattisgarh Paddy Production: India is an agricultural country. About 60 percent of the population here is directly related to agriculture for their livelihood. Don’t know how many types of crops are grown here, which are contributing significantly to the food security of the country as well as the world. Wheat and rice are getting the maximum production. Currently Rabi season is going on, in which wheat is cultivated. After this, paddy, the main food crop of the Kharif season, will be cultivated. It is sown between May-June. India ranks second after China in global paddy production.
Basmati rice grown in the country is in demand all over the world. There is a great demand for basmati paddy especially in America, United Kingdom and now in Gulf countries. Paddy is cultivated from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Don’t know how many varieties of paddy are grown only in India. The Government of India has also given GI tag to dozens of varieties of rice. West Bengal has got the status of the largest paddy producer in India, but the surprising thing is that even today Chhattisgarh has made its identity in the country and the world by the name of ‘rice bowl’.
This is not a myth, but there is a big reason behind it as well. Undoubtedly, Chhattisgarh is not the biggest producer of paddy, but this state also has such a specialty, due to which Chhattisgarh got more name than West Bengal in the field of paddy production.
Top 10 Paddy Producing States
By the way, paddy is cultivated in every corner of the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. This crop is considered most suitable for irrigated areas, because paddy cultivation consumes more water. Talk about its major producing states, then the name of West Bengal comes on top.
After this, paddy is grown on a large scale in Uttar Pradesh. The third name in this episode is Punjab, where farmers mostly cultivate paddy in the Rabi season, while Andhra Pradesh at number four, Odisha at number five, Telangana at number six, Tamil Nadu at number seven, Chhattisgarh at number eight, Chhattisgarh at number nine But Bihar and Assam are at number ten.
The soil and climate of these states are most favorable for paddy cultivation. This is the reason why the farmers of these states plant paddy crop at least in one season.
Why is Chhattisgarh called
You will be surprised to know, but the culture of Chhattisgarh is completely based on rice. Rice is included prominently in almost every event in the state. It is not only a major rice producing state, but the number of rice eaters here is also much more.
The main reason why Chhattisgarh is called the ‘Rice Bowl’ is that more varieties of paddy are grown here as compared to the area. In this state alone, more than 20,000 varieties of paddy are produced, the most famous of which are medicinal varieties of paddy, which are used in the treatment of many diseases.
Although about 88 percent of Chhattisgarh is covered by paddy crop, but due to the production of maximum varieties of paddy or say that due to the diversity in paddy production, Chhattisgarh is called ‘Rice Bowl’.
Chhattisgarh’s soil and climate are designed by nature for paddy cultivation, where indigenous communities have grown paddy for centuries and have played an important role in the conservation of indigenous varieties of rice.
Maximum paddy grows in Dhamtari
The farmers of Dhamtari have an important role in making Chhattisgarh a rice bowl. It is a tribal dominated area situated in the lap of nature. Paddy is cultivated twice a year in Dhamtari district, which is about 70 kilometers from Raipur.
If you are reading this news sitting in a big city of the country, then it is possible that the rice included in Pulao Rice, Biryani Rice, Poha, Khichdi Rice or other products kept in your house was born in Dhamtari only.
In the lap of Dhamtari, you will see hundreds of women doing work like paddy transplanting, weeding, crop management. In fact, women are the backbone of Chhattisgarh’s agriculture, who take all the responsibility till the harvesting of paddy cultivation. Now apart from paddy, the state is getting good production of wheat, gram, coarse grains, pulses, oilseeds and vegetable crops.
Cow dung gave special recognition to Chhattisgarh
For many centuries, Chhattisgarh was famous only by the name of Paddy Bowl. There is also a lot of practice in the cultivation of organic varieties of paddy here, but now amidst the ill-effects of climate change, instead of paddy cultivation, the cultivation of alternative crops is gradually being promoted in the state.
Apart from farming, these days the Gaushalas (Gothans) of Chhattisgarh are also emerging as rural employment centers. Fertilizer, fertilizer, insecticide, organic paint and don’t know how many products are being made from cow dung in these gothans, for which the government also gives incentives. These days the farmers of Chhattisgarh are also being motivated to grow millets.
Disclaimer: Some of the information given in the news is based on media reports. Farmer brothers, before implementing any suggestion, do consult the concerned expert.
Read this also- GI Tag: India’s rice is famous all over the world, there is a huge demand for these unique varieties… Know what is so special about them?
