Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu directed the Agriculture Department to link detailed data of farmers practising natural farming with the Him Parivar Portal by January 20, so that a block-level database of such farmers could be prepared and mapped accordingly. The CM was presiding over the meeting of the Agriculture Department today.
The Chief Minister said that youth would be encouraged to adopt natural farming to strengthen the rural economy. He said that promoting this method of farming across the state would boost and strengthen the economy of the farmers, adding that the state government was working to bring revolutionary changes in the natural farming-based system.
The CM will interact with farmers associated with natural farming at a conference to be held this month in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.
Sukhu reviewed various issues of the farmers related to wheat, maize and raw turmeric produced through natural farming. He said that wheat flour produced through natural farming was being marketed under the brand ‘Him Chakki Atta’, maize flour as ‘Him Bhog Makki Atta’ and raw turmeric as ‘Him Haldi’.
The chief minister directed that expiry dates and nutritional percentages in these products should be clearly displayed on the flour packets, and also instructed the formation of a special unit to assess nutritional content.
606.8 metric tones of naturally grown maize have been procured, and Rs 2.31 crore has been transferred directly to the bank accounts of the farmers, said the CM. Similarly, 2,123 quintals of naturally grown wheat have been procured at the Minimum Support Price, and 1.32 lakh have been transferred to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Encouraging results were being seen by providing a support price of Rs 90 per kg for naturally grown raw turmeric, he said, adding that procurement of around 2,422 quintals of turmeric from 1,629 farmers was estimated this year. He added that the Agriculture Department is producing various crops using natural farming methods on its 25 farms across the state.
The state is also emphasising ensuring better marketing of natural farming products as well.
Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister Ram Subhag Singh, Advocate General Anoop Rattan, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rakesh Kanwar, Secretaries C. Paulrasu and Ashish Singhmar, Director DDTG Dr Nipun Jindal, Director Agriculture Ravinder Singh Jasrotia, Director Horticulture Vinay Singh and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
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