Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced that the Agriculture Department targets integrating one lakh farmers into natural farming this year. The state government actively promotes natural farming to help farmers earn higher profits at lower costs. Currently, 222,893 farmer and horticulturist families have embraced natural farming practices.
More than two lakh farmers are registered for natural farming, with 198,000 already issued certificates, as stated by the Chief Minister. The Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana discourages chemical inputs and encourages the use of indigenous resources like cow dung, cow urine, and local plants. The scheme aims at environmental conservation, crop diversification, and reducing cultivation costs.
Chief Minister Sukhu highlighted that the state government offers the highest minimum support price (MSP) in the country for naturally grown produce to ensure fair returns for farmers. Notably, this year’s MSP for various crops like wheat, maize, barley, and turmeric has been increased. The Pangi subdivision has been declared the state’s first fully natural farming subdivision.
Agriculture, being the backbone of Himachal Pradesh’s economy, supports nearly 90% of the rural population, with over half directly dependent on it for livelihood. The sector contributes about 14.70% to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. To boost the rural economy, the government is implementing farmer-friendly policies and initiatives, including marketing naturally produced maize and wheat flour under the brand name ‘Him.’
