Rajasthan to boost chilli production

With the introduction of hybrid seeds, chilli cultivation in Rajasthan is on the rise. The crop has become highly attractive to farmers in t...

With the introduction of hybrid seeds, chilli cultivation in Rajasthan is on the rise. The crop has become highly attractive to farmers in the state particularly those from the Mathania region. Last year the crop covered a record area of 57,000 hectares producing 64,000 tonnes of chillies including all varieties.

The agriculture department is taking all possible steps to promote the sowings of chillies in other areas of Rajasthan such as Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, Bhilwara, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Ganganagar. “The farmers in these areas are keen on producing the crop due to high returns” says the state agriculture director, Purshottam Agarwal.

Talking to The Financial Express, Agarwal said that RCH-1, the new seed variety of chilli, which has been developed by the Rajasthan Agriculture University, had become quite popular with the farmers due to the high yield. The variety was also disease-resistant. The other common variety being used was Pusa-Jwala.

Story continues below this ad

The yield per hectare of RCH-1 was as high as11.2 quintals per hectare and the Department had taken some extensive educational programme in the new areas so as to increase the yield further. The new seed variety could do wonders. The agriculture university was also in the process of developing some new seed varieties to suit the climatic conditions.

In 1996-97, the crop under chillies covered 52,180 hectares and the total production was 58,815 tonnes. The year recorded a significant jump in the area compared to the previous year when the area covered 38,143 hectares only producing 38,853 tonnes of chillies.

Of late the farmers in the Mathania region had faced the problem of viruses diseases on a large scale. “We are seriously looking into the problem and how best the disease could be checked” said Agarwal. “We shall not allow the area to dwindle”. However, water was in abundance in the entire region.Agarwal said that the year 1995-96 was the worst as the disease had affected the crop to a large degree in the entire Mathania region. This hadgreatly disheartened the farmers.

The Department had arranged as many as 867 demonstration-cum-seed multiplication programme for the chilli crop last year in Rajasthan.

EAM Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Rubio hold bilateral discussions in New York

India2 hr ago

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and US Senator Rubio met in New York to discuss the 25% tariff on Indian oil imposed by Trump. This was their first in-person meeting since the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. India and the US also began talks for a trade agreement, with positive discussions during a recent visit by US trade officials to India.

View all shorts

Live Blog