Himachal CM Emphasizes Strengthening Rural Economy Through Natural Farming and Agricultural Reforms

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening the rural economy with sustainable and farmer-centric policies. Taking a pioneering step, Himachal Pradesh became the first state in India to fix the highest support price for wheat and maize under natural farming, ensuring financial stability for farmers. The government set a milestone by purchasing wheat at ₹40 per kg and maize at ₹30 per kg, directly benefiting 1,508 farmers with ₹1.19 crore transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). To further promote organic farming, the state introduced ‘Him Bhog-Him Makki Atta’ in the market while assuring farmers a stable income by committing to purchase up to 20 quintals of maize per family under natural farming.

The government has also launched the Rajiv Gandhi Natural Farming Start-up Yojana under the ₹680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme, integrating agriculture with employment generation. With 36,000 new farmers adopting natural farming this year, the total count has risen to 1.98 lakh farmers cultivating over 35,000 hectares. To make natural farming a commercially viable model, free certification is being provided to 1.50 lakh farmers. Expanding its focus on horticulture, the government has rolled out the ₹1,292 crore Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project (HP Shiva), spanning seven districts across 6,000 hectares and promoting fruits like oranges, guavas, litchi, and plums. This initiative is expected to benefit 15,000 farming families and generate an annual market value of ₹400 crore by 2032, with infrastructure development progressing in 10 market yards to facilitate the sale of natural farming products and ensure fair pricing for farmers.

Himachal Pradesh has set a benchmark in the dairy sector by being the first state to fix the minimum support price for milk, with cow milk priced at ₹45 per litre and buffalo milk at ₹55 per litre. A state-of-the-art milk processing plant with a capacity of 50,000 litres per day has been inaugurated in Dattanagar, directly benefiting 20,000 dairy farmers. Additionally, the foundation stone for an Automated Milk Processing Plant with a processing capacity of 1.5 to 3 lakh litres per day has been laid in Dhagwar, Kangra district. Further expansion includes the establishment of milk processing and chilling plants in Kangra, Kullu, Nahan, Nalagarh, Una, and Hamirpur. MILKFED currently procures 2 lakh litres of milk daily, and in a pioneering move, goat milk is now being purchased at ₹70 per litre in Una district. The state has also launched the ₹500 crore ‘Him Ganga’ scheme to boost milk production, supporting over 26,000 below-poverty-line farmers in the past two years with a 50 percent subsidy on cattle feed for pregnant cows.

Major reforms have also been introduced in the horticulture sector, including the introduction of universal cartons for apple growers to enhance marketability. The government cleared outstanding payments of ₹153 crore under the Market Intervention Scheme and increased minimum support prices for apples, mangoes, and citrus fruits to ₹12 per kg, significantly benefiting orchardists. To enhance farm productivity, the government has rolled out subsidies of up to 70 percent for fencing, 50 percent on seeds for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and fodder crops, and 25 percent for potato, ginger, and turmeric seeds. Under the JICA scheme, ₹96.15 crore has been spent on awareness and capacity-building programs, benefiting over 50,000 farmers, while ₹19.19 crore has been allocated for fencing projects, directly supporting over 1,000 farmers in two years.

The holistic approach taken by the Himachal Pradesh government towards strengthening agriculture, horticulture, and dairy through initiatives like MSP, subsidies, and natural farming incentives is playing a crucial role in empowering farmers and horticulturists. These progressive steps are setting an example for rural development across India, ensuring a prosperous and self-reliant future for the farming community.

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