Shimla, April 7: The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhu, announced on Tuesday that the agriculture department aims to connect one lakh farmers with natural farming this year.
He emphasized that the state government is actively promoting natural farming and encouraging farmers to adopt it. This approach allows farmers to achieve higher profits at lower costs.
So far, 222,893 farmers and horticulturists have embraced natural farming.
In a statement, the Chief Minister noted that over 200,000 farmers are registered under natural farming, with certificates issued to 198,000 of them.
The “Happy Farmer Scheme” discourages the use of chemical substances while promoting the use of local cow dung, cow urine, and plant-based resources.
Key objectives of this scheme include environmental protection, enhancing crop diversity, and reducing farming costs.
CM Sukhu stated that the state government is offering the highest minimum support price (MSP) in the country for naturally grown produce to ensure fair returns for farmers.
This year, the MSP for naturally grown wheat has increased from ₹60 to ₹80 per kilogram, maize from ₹40 to ₹50, barley from the Pangi Valley from ₹60 to ₹80, and natural turmeric from ₹90 to ₹150 per kilogram.
Pangi sub-division has been declared the state’s first fully natural farming sub-division.
For the first time, ginger has also been included under the MSP scheme, with its price set at ₹30 per kilogram.
Additionally, the purchase price for cow’s milk has been raised to ₹61 per liter, and buffalo’s milk to ₹71 per liter.
The Chief Minister highlighted that agriculture is the backbone of the state’s economy, as nearly 90 percent of the population resides in rural areas, with 53.95 percent directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods.
He further stated that this sector contributes approximately 14.70 percent to the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
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