Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has topped in the production of spices in the country by harvesting a record 54 lakh metric tons in the outgoing kharif season.
The spice crops were sown in 8,32,419 hectares in the state in 2023-24 kharif season, leading to a record production of 54 lakh metric tons, a spokesman of the state government said on Saturday.
The spice crop cultivation has been made in an additional 13,110 hectares in the outgoing kharif season in the state over that in the last season, officials said.
A grant of Rs 44.85 crores was provided to 42,730 farmers by the state government to go for spice crop farming in 2023-24.
The spice crops raised in Madhya Pradesh included turmeric, garlic, green and red chili, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, cumin, and fennel.
In the last four years, the spice production has increased by 2.16 lakh metric tons.
The sowing area of spice crops has also increased.
In 2021-22, sowing was done in 8,23,918 hectares, which increased to 8,82,419 hectares in 2023-24.
As a result, the total production of spices increased to 54,16,700 lakh metric tons in 2023-24 from 46,74,807 metric tons.
Madhya Pradesh ranks second in the country in the production of green chilis.
The green chili production which was 8,01,971 metric tons in 2020-21 was increased to 10,17,874 metric tons in 2023-24.
The area under green chili cultivation has also increased from 50,933 hectares in 2020-21 to 64,116 hectares in 2023-24.
