{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Balod farmers can earn ₹15,000 per acre by choosing pulses, oilseeds or cotton over paddy this Kharif season",
  "summary": "Under the Krishak Unnati Yojana, farmers in Balod district who grow pulses, oilseeds, kodo, kutki, ragi, soybean or cotton instead of paddy this Kharif season will get ₹15,000 per acre directly, with no separate application required.",
  "content": "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.\n\nWhich crops qualify for the payout\nUnder 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.\n\nWho stands to benefit the most\nKeshav 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.\n\nAccording 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.\n\nNo separate application needed\nOne 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.\n\nBoth digital and manual surveys underway\nPidda 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.\n\nMaize growers to benefit too\nThe 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.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: The scheme shows how state governments are now offering direct cash support to help paddy-dependent farmers switch to alternative crops, which could push farmers in other states to demand similar support.\n• In Balod: Farmers in Balod district who sow pulses, oilseeds, kodo, kutki, ragi, soybean, cotton or maize instead of paddy can get ₹15,000 per acre directly, without filing any separate application.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What benefit does this scheme give farmers in Balod?\nFarmers who grow pulses, oilseeds, kodo, kutki, ragi, soybean or cotton instead of paddy during the Kharif season get ₹15,000 per acre as assistance.\n\n2. Which scheme is providing this assistance?\nThe assistance is being provided under the Krishak Unnati Yojana.\n\n3. Do farmers need to apply separately to get the benefit?\nNo, no separate application is needed, agriculture department officials verify the crop sown in the fields during the girdawari process.\n\n4. How is the crop verified?\nIn some parts of the district crop records are prepared through a digital survey and in others through a manual survey, and assistance is given based on confirming the crop actually sown.\n\n5. Will farmers who grew maize also get the benefit?\nYes, farmers in Balod district who grew maize on land that would otherwise have had paddy will also get the assistance amount if they meet eligibility conditions.\n\n6. Why has the government introduced this scheme?\nThe government wants farmers in areas where paddy does not grow well to switch to alternative crops so they avoid financial losses, cut costs and raise their income.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/business/balod-ke-kisanon-ko-dhana-chhorakara-ye-phasalen-bone-para-milenge-prati-ekara-15-hajara-rupaye-7486",
  "category": "Business",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-14",
  "tags": [
    "Krishak Unnati Yojana",
    "Balod farmer scheme",
    "alternative crops instead of paddy",
    "crop diversification",
    "agriculture subsidy",
    "per acre assistance amount"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}