Farmers in Balod district can now get a direct payout of ₹15,000 per acre if they choose to grow crops other than paddy this Kharif season. The support is being extended under a state government scheme called the Krishak Unnati Yojana, which aims to encourage crop diversification during the Kharif season.
Which crops qualify for the payout
Under the scheme, farmers who grow pulses, oilseeds, kodo, kutki, ragi, soybean or cotton instead of paddy during the Kharif season will receive ₹15,000 per acre as financial assistance. The amount goes directly to farmers who choose these alternative crops over the traditional practice of sowing paddy.
Who stands to benefit the most
Keshav Ram Pidda, senior agriculture development officer with the Balod agriculture department, said the scheme is designed to bring relief to farmers in areas where paddy cultivation does not perform well, leading to lower yields and financial losses. In such areas, alternative crops can prove far more profitable than paddy. The department believes crop diversification will cut farming costs, improve soil fertility and help raise farmers' incomes.
According to Pidda, several parts of Balod district are better suited to crops like arhar, urad, moong, kodo, kutki and soybean than to paddy. The department is encouraging farmers to switch to these crops so they can benefit from both government assistance and better returns in the market.
No separate application needed
One of the biggest advantages of the scheme is that farmers do not need to file a separate application or make repeated trips to agriculture department offices to claim the benefit. Officials will verify the crops actually sown in the fields during the girdawari process, the routine land record survey. Eligible farmers will receive the assistance amount based on this verification.
Both digital and manual surveys underway
Pidda further said that in some parts of the district, crop records are being prepared through a digital survey, while manual surveys are being carried out in other areas. In both cases, the benefit will only be released once the crop actually sown in the field has been confirmed.
Maize growers to benefit too
The officer also said that some farmers in Balod district have grown maize this year on around five acres of land that would otherwise have been used for paddy. Such farmers will also receive the assistance amount if they meet the scheme's eligibility conditions. The agriculture department is running an awareness campaign village by village to make sure more farmers learn about the scheme and no farmer is forced to bear financial losses.
