The Bajra producing states in India play an important role in the agricultural landscape as Bajra or Peral Millet is the most cultivated millet type in India with a total output of 95.31 Lakh tonnes.
Until the early 2000s, Bajra was the second most significant millet crop in India, following Jowar or Sorghum in both area and production.
Since then, Bajra has taken the first place. Currently its production had reached more than twice the amount of Jowar production in India.
Interestingly, Bajra has the highest yield potential among all the millets, and these plants have large stems, leaves, and spikes.
Alongside, These little grains play a crucial role in ensuring food security and supporting the local economy.
Not just these, they also provide the required nutrients to the people living in drought-prone areas.
In this post, let’s look into the Bajra producing states in India, including various aspects like agricultural output, climate conditions, farming techniques, government initiatives, and other dynamics that made these states stand out.
Rajasthan: The Largest Bajra Producing State in India
With a production of 42.81Lakh tonnes of Bajra, Rajasthan tops the major Bajra producing states in India.
The state of Rajasthan alone accounts for 44.91% of the national output making it the largest Bajra producing state in India.
An interesting fact is that the state of Rajasthan also ranks first among the top 10 millet producing states in India.
Known for its varied agricultural landscape and climatic conditions, several regions in this state support the Bajra cultivation.
Farmers living in the arid regions of Rajasthan, which have water scarcity, low rainfall, and high temperatures, choose Bajra as the main crop for cultivation due to its drought-tolerant nature.
Bajra is sown during the Kharif season, mainly after the initial monsoon rainfall.
Jaipur, Alwar, Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Jalore, Jhunjhunu, Bharatpur, Dausa, Karauli, and Sikar are the districts where most of the Bajra Cultivation happens in Rajasthan.
Not just a millet crop, but Bajra also has a great cultural significance. Several communities in this state rely on it as a staple food and frequently use it in preparation of traditional dishes.
The State Government promotes the Bajra cultivation by subsidizing the seeds and agriculture loans.
Alongside, Bajra also contributes a lot to food security and nutrition, especially for people living in arid climatic zones.
Uttar Pradesh
Not just the leading state in Rice and wheat production in India, Uttar Pradesh is also a top player in millet production, especially Bajra and Jowar.
Uttar Pradesh had produced 21.95 Lakh tonnes of Bajra during 2023-24, accounting for 23.03% of the national Bajra output.
From fertile plains to semi-arid regions, this state has diverse climatic conditions that favour the cultivation of a wide range of crops.
Farmers in the Firozabad, Aligarh, Agra, Ettah, Badaun, Kasganj, Sambhal, and Hathras districts cultivate Bajra in significant areas.
Bajra is predominantly a Kharif crop in this State. It’s cultivation is also a great source of income for farmers living in drought-prone regions.
The state government has implemented several programs aimed at promoting millets like Bajra and Jowar. These include facilitating access to agricultural loans, subsidizing the purchase of seeds, and providing assistance for innovative irrigation practices to improve Bajra production.
Haryana
Another Prominent agricultural State, Haryana, is one of the major Bajra producing states in India with a production of 11.69 Lakh tonnes of Bajra in 2023-24. This accounts for 12.26% of the nation’s share.
In Haryana, this crop is mostly cultivated in the semi-arid regions and in regions with water scarcity, as Kharif crop. Also, in several areas of Haryana, Bajra acts as a crop for diversification.
The well-established market structure in Haryana is helping farmers to get better prices.
The main thing that favours farmers of Haryana to choose Bajra is its drought-tolerant and pest-resistant nature.
Mahendragarh, Rewari, Bhiwani, Charki Dadri, and Jhajjar are the districts in Haryana, where most of the states Bajra comes from.
Alongside implementing the programs like the distribution of Bajra seeds under Atal Bhujal Yojana. The Government awareness programmes have positively impacted Bajra production in Haryana.
Madhya Pradesh
Having Bajra production of 9.58 Lakh tonnes during 2023-24, Madhya Pradesh accounts for 10.05% of Bajra production in India.
The semi-arid climate present in the western and northern parts of Madhya Pradesh suits the Bajra cultivation. Most of the Bajra produced in this state also comes from these regions.
Morena, Bhind, Alirajpur, Sheopur, Shivpuri, and Gwalior are the districts in Madhya Pradesh that are known for Bajra cultivation.
Requiring very little investment, drought tolerant nature, and the increasing demand for this crop are the factors that are making farmers choose Bajra over other crops.
The Madhya Pradesh government implements several schemes and policies to promote awareness of innovative agricultural practices. Along with these, the cash incentives given to millet farmers are helping to increase cultivation and to boost Bajra production.
Gujarat
The State of Gujarat stood fourth among the Bajra producing states in India from 2019 till 2023. However, due to a sharp decline in Bajra cultivation and production, The state came down to fifth position now.
Gujarat recorded a Bajra production of 3.63 Lakh tonnes for 2023-24, accounting for 3.80% of the nations share. In contrast, Gujarat had produced 12.94 Lakh tonnes of Bajra, which is 11.32% of India’s Bajra Production in 2022-23 (114.31 L.tonnes).
The drop in Bajra production is due to the shift in crop preferences, inconsistent demand, and market prices.
In Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, farmers grow Bajra between February and June.
Gujarat’s diverse climatic conditions and the presence of arid and semi-arid regions favour the cultivation of Bajra and other millets.
Maharashtra
With great potential in Bajra and other millets Production, Maharashtra is one of the top contributors to India’s Bajra output.
With a production of 2.01 Lakh tonnes of Bajra, this state accounts for 2.1% of the nation’s share.
Beed, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Pune, and Nasik are the districts where Bajra is largely cultivated in Maharashtra.
Like Gujarat, the Bajra production in this state has significantly reduced for the year 2023-24 to 2.01 LT from 4.68 LT in 2022-23.
The decline is mainly due to the turn of farmers towards cash crops for better financial returns.
However, an interesting fact about Maharastra is that, it is largest among the Jowar producing states in India.
The state government of Maharashtra is implementing various schemes and programs to support the farmers who cultivate Bajra and other millets.
Karnataka
Having a production of 1.56 Lakh tonnes of Bajra for the year 2023-24, Karnataka state accounts for 1.63% of the total Bajra produced in the country.
Farmers in Karnataka had cultivated Bajra on 1.27 lakh hectares during 2023-24.
Semi-arid to arid climate in the eastern part of Karnataka makes the farmers there choose millets over other crops. This is due to the drought-tolerant and pest-resistant nature of Bajra crop.
Bajra is a kharif crop in this state. It is largely cultivated in Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura, Ballari and Bagalakote districts of Karnataka.
Although the State government is implementing several programs and schemes to boost millet production, the overall production of Bajra has declined when the production data from 2019-24 is compared.
Tamil Nadu
The State of Tamil Nadu stands eighth among Bajra producing states in India, with a production of 1.19 Lakh tonnes. This accounts for 1.24% of the nation’s share.
Bajra is a staple food crop for several people in Tamil Nadu and is used to prepare several traditional dishes.
Alongside this, diverse agro-climatic conditions, Government initiatives, and intercropping practices make Tamil Nadu a crucial player in Bajra as well as other Millet producing states in India.
Bajra is cultivated in 0.46 Lakh hectares of land and ranks highest among all the states in terms of yield at a rate of 2578 Kg/Ha.
The Tamil Nadu government has implemented several policies and programs to support Bajra farmers. Some of them are subsidies, financial assistance and awareness programmes.
Andhra Pradesh
Contributing nearly 0.56% of the Bajra production in India, Andhra Pradesh has a great potential to increase it’s cultivation area.
Bajra is cultivated in 0.24 Lakh hectares of land in Andhrapradesh and 0.54 Lakh tonnes of Bajra was produced during 2023-24.
Prakasam, Nandyala, Anantapur, Kurnool, Tirupati, and Nellore districts are where the Bajra is grown in this state.
Government and NGOs in this state are working to promote the importance of millets and to integrate millets like Bajra into the regular diet.
Also, the government is encouraging the use of millets like ragi and Bajra in food industries to make value-based products.
Telangana
Telangana stands tenth among the Bajra producing states in India. During 2023-24 this state has produced 0.11 Lakh tonnes of Bajra cultivated in 0.06 Lakh hectares of land.
This state contributes 0.11% of the national output. Even though this state contributes less, the potential for the growth of millets as a future crop is high.
Millets are a staple food in several regions of Telangana.
State Government is taking numerous steps to increase the awareness and production of the types of millets.
Bihar
With a production of 0.04 Lakh tonnes (4000 tonnes) of Bajra during 2023-24, Bihar stands eleventh among the Indian states that cultivate Bajra.
During 2023-24, Bajra cultivation is done in 3000 hectares of land, achieving a yield of 1138 kg per hectare.
In Bihar, farmers grow this crop during the Kharif season.
Odisha
Although a minor contributor, Odisha state has great potential to increase the cultivation of Bajra and other millets.
During 2023-24, farmers in Odisha had cultivated Bajra on 3000 hectares of land, producing 0.02 lakh tonnes and achieving a yield of 621 kg per hectare.
Due to its climatic conditions, Odisha produces significantly lower yields of Bajra compared to other states.
Others
All Other Bajra producing states in india contributed 0.17 Lakh tonnes of Bajra during 2023-24 making the national output of 95.31 Lakh tonnes.
Among all these states, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Nagaland, and Punjab occupy most of the share.
