Focus on Increasing Rice Production in Eastern States gives Good Results

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Agriculture

27-November-2012 15:59 IST

In order to address the constraints that limit the productivity of rice based cropping systems in eastern India, the Government launched a programme namely 'Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India (BGREI)' -as a sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during the year 2010-11 with an allocation of Rs. 400 crores in seven states viz., Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The programme has been continued since then with an allocation of Rs. 400 crore in 2011-12 which was enhanced to Rs. 1,000 crore in 2012-13.

The focused efforts over the past three years of implementation of BGREI and other crop development programmes such as National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) have resulted in significant increase in share of eastern region in the total production of rice in the country. A record production of 53.34 million tonnes of rice has been achieved by the region out of total rice production of 104.32 million tonnes in 2011-12 as per Fourth Advance Estimates. State-wise production figures of rice in the region for 2011-12 is given as under:

(Lakh Tonnes)

Considering the over exploitation of limited natural resources of north western region due to rice cultivation, Government is giving emphasis on increasing rice production in the resource rich eastern region of the country. There is, therefore, no programme of the Government to actively promote Basmati rice in Punjab and Haryana.

This information was given by Shri Tariq Anwar, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

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