CM Sukhu directs officials to take concrete efforts to promote natural farming in HP

Shimla, May 17 (PTI) Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday directed officers of the agriculture department to make concrete and coordinated efforts in promoting natural farming in Himachal Pradesh.

Presiding over a meeting of the agriculture department here, Sukhu said that all officers of the department, JICA and ATMA must reach out to farmers and provide them crucial handholding in adopting natural farming along with facilitating its certification.

He also directed them to organize panchayat-wise camps to ensure farmers' registration under natural farming initiatives. He said that accountability would be fixed in this regard at each level to achieve tangible outcomes.

He further directed APMC chairpersons to actively motivate and assist farmers in this direction. He also asked all APMCs to establish high-end silos for the procurement of naturally grown wheat, maize and raw turmeric.

"The procurement of naturally grown wheat has already commenced and the state government is offering MSP of Rs 60 per kg to the farmers for their produce," he added.

Sukhu also directed the agriculture department to provide high quality seeds to farmers engaged in natural farming.

"In an effort to strengthen the government farms to promote natural farming, the agriculture department has developed three model farms - Bhattoo farm in Kangra district, Bhagani in Sirmaur district and Bairtee-Boch in Solan district. Such model farms will be established in the coming time," he said.

During the meeting, he also reviewed the progress of ongoing projects of Conservation Agriculture (CA) stores in the state. He emphasised that these CA stores are crucial for the farmers and horticulturists in providing them remunerative prices for their hard work.

"The state government is establishing CA stores in Sundernagar of Mandi district, Annu (Jubbal), Chopal, Sundasu, Kharapathar, Duttnagar and Dhalli in Shimla district, Kandrouri and Sulah in Kangra district, Jabli in Solan district and Bhawanagar in Kinnaur district in a phased manner and the state government has allocated Rs 330 crore for this purpose," he said.

Sukhu also reviewed the JICA project which is being implemented with an outlay of Rs 1,010 crore in all the 12 districts of the state and also took stock of various ongoing projects of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board and gave necessary direction. PTI/COR ANU ANU

Source: PTI