Surgujaसरगुजा
23.6 lakh people. Larger than Bahrain, Estonia, or Mauritius. Governed as one cell of one state.
- Population
- 23,59,886 (23.6 lakh)
- Area
- 15,731 km²
- Headquarters
- Ambikapur
₹1,260 cr
of bankable business potential identified by the government in Surguja.
Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24
Opportunities
What you can build here
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NABARD's plan for Surguja · PLP 2023-24
₹1,260 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government
Crop production, maintenance & marketing
₹554 cr
Term loans for agriculture & allied activities
₹198 cr
MSME
₹176 cr
Ancillary activities (incl. food & agro processing)
₹134 cr
Surguja's NABARD credit plan for 2023-24 sees about ₹1,260 crore of lending potential. Roughly three-quarters (₹950 crore) is farming and farm-linked, and MSME (small industry) is ₹176 crore — the rest is housing, education, self-help-group and renewable-energy loans.
The single biggest opportunity is crop loans at ₹554 crore (44% of the whole plan), yet only 61,123 of the district's 1,57,456 farm families hold a Kisan Credit Card, so there is plenty of headroom. Beyond crops, the plan flags strong animal and fish clusters: poultry (₹48 crore plus 4.2 lakh birds), dairy and cattle (₹35 crore across 6 lakh livestock), fisheries (₹38 crore, with 2,710 of 2,791 ha of water already in use), and farm machinery/Custom Hiring Centres (₹47 crore). Food and agro-processing alone is ₹83 crore, backed by big local harvests of grain, vegetables and spices, and an organic-farming drive centred on Batauli block (vermicompost, bio-pesticides, aromatic paddy, kodo-kutki). NABARD is also running a WADI tribal-orchard project in Batauli and two new farmer producer companies in Mainpat and Lundra.
The plan's own warnings: irrigation reaches only about 12% of land (target 35%), interior roads are poor, storage and market sheds are scarce, KCC coverage is just 57%, and livestock farmers lack vaccine cold-storage, artificial insemination and good-breed animals.
What the plan promotes
- Crop loan is the single biggest opportunity at ₹554.02cr (44% of the plan); paddy and wheat are the main crops, with kharif covering ~1.64 lakh ha and rabi ~0.53 lakh ha, but only 61,123 Kisan Credit Cards issued against 1,57,456 farm families.
- Poultry term loans projected at ₹48.16cr and KCC-poultry at ₹1.39cr; district has 4,24,477 poultry birds and the PLP urges private poultry hatcheries.
- Farm mechanisation term loans of ₹47.38cr — only ~14 tractors per 1,000 ha of net cropped area (below state average); PLP wants Custom Hiring Centres and Krishi Yantra Seva Kendras.
- Dairy/cattle rearing ₹23.72cr plus KCC-dairy ₹11.55cr; livestock population is 6,05,572 including 3,64,306 cattle and 2,88,535 goats.
- Fisheries ₹32.78cr term loans plus KCC-fishery ₹5.25cr; 2,710 ha of 2,791 ha water area already under fisheries, with state treating fish farming on par with agriculture for power/irrigation subsidy.
- Food & agro processing ₹83.00cr — district produces 2.79 lakh tonnes kharif foodgrain, 1.35 lakh tonnes horticulture fruit, 3.08 lakh tonnes vegetables and 0.43 lakh tonnes spices for local value addition.
Gaps the plan names
- Poor road connectivity between interior areas/blocks and the district headquarters — PLP stresses developing this critical infrastructure.
- Irrigation covers only ~12% (15% of kharif, 4% of rabi area) and must be raised to at least 35% through surface irrigation, rainwater harvesting and groundwater development.
- Kisan Credit Card coverage is only 57%; a special drive is needed to bring in dairy/poultry/goat/fishery farmers and forest-rights (vanpatta) holders.
- 75% of farmers (1.20 lakh) are small and marginal, so Joint Liability Group financing must be scaled up via district consultative committee targets.
- Warehousing and marketing infrastructure is very limited in remote areas, leaving farmers without fair prices; decentralised storage and marketing units needed (scope under the Agri Infrastructure Fund).
See the plan's recommendations
What the plan promotes
- Crop loan is the single biggest opportunity at ₹554.02cr (44% of the plan); paddy and wheat are the main crops, with kharif covering ~1.64 lakh ha and rabi ~0.53 lakh ha, but only 61,123 Kisan Credit Cards issued against 1,57,456 farm families.
- Poultry term loans projected at ₹48.16cr and KCC-poultry at ₹1.39cr; district has 4,24,477 poultry birds and the PLP urges private poultry hatcheries.
- Farm mechanisation term loans of ₹47.38cr — only ~14 tractors per 1,000 ha of net cropped area (below state average); PLP wants Custom Hiring Centres and Krishi Yantra Seva Kendras.
- Dairy/cattle rearing ₹23.72cr plus KCC-dairy ₹11.55cr; livestock population is 6,05,572 including 3,64,306 cattle and 2,88,535 goats.
- Fisheries ₹32.78cr term loans plus KCC-fishery ₹5.25cr; 2,710 ha of 2,791 ha water area already under fisheries, with state treating fish farming on par with agriculture for power/irrigation subsidy.
- Food & agro processing ₹83.00cr — district produces 2.79 lakh tonnes kharif foodgrain, 1.35 lakh tonnes horticulture fruit, 3.08 lakh tonnes vegetables and 0.43 lakh tonnes spices for local value addition.
Gaps the plan names
- Poor road connectivity between interior areas/blocks and the district headquarters — PLP stresses developing this critical infrastructure.
- Irrigation covers only ~12% (15% of kharif, 4% of rabi area) and must be raised to at least 35% through surface irrigation, rainwater harvesting and groundwater development.
- Kisan Credit Card coverage is only 57%; a special drive is needed to bring in dairy/poultry/goat/fishery farmers and forest-rights (vanpatta) holders.
- 75% of farmers (1.20 lakh) are small and marginal, so Joint Liability Group financing must be scaled up via district consultative committee targets.
- Warehousing and marketing infrastructure is very limited in remote areas, leaving farmers without fair prices; decentralised storage and marketing units needed (scope under the Agri Infrastructure Fund).
Value-chain gaps
Money this district loses today
Raw output sold cheap, value added elsewhere — each gap below is an opening for a local business.
Resources
What this district has
Tap a category to see the facts and figures underneath. Numbers marked unverified are AI-extracted and need a sourcing pass.
About Surguja
Surguja district is a district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The district is one of the oldest districts of Chhattisgarh. The headquarters of the district is Ambikapur.
Source: Wikipedia — Surguja district
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