Shimla, Sep 16 (IANS) Across 3,584 panchayats in Himachal Pradesh, 222,893 farmers are cultivating a variety of crops naturally on 38,437 hectares, earning a sustainable livelihood by getting the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government said on Tuesday.

The government has provided training to 3.06 lakh farmers and horticulturists in natural farming. It has set a target to integrate one lakh new farmers in this fiscal. So far, 59,068 farmers and horticulturists from 88 development blocks have submitted registration forms with the Agriculture Department.

Encouraged by these efforts, the farmers are not only producing chemical-free crops but are also receiving fair value for their produce.

“Strengthening the rural economy is our priority. In the past two-and-a-half years, we have introduced several schemes to empower farmers, increase their income, and improve their living standards. Nearly 90 per cent of Himachal Pradesh’s population lives in villages, and agriculture is their primary occupation and our policies are designed to ensure money reaches the hands of people in rural areas,” an official statement quoting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.

The Himachal government is providing MSP of Rs 40 per kg for maize, Rs 60 a kg for wheat, Rs 90 per kg for raw turmeric and Rs 60 per kg for barley from the Pangi region.

To further support farmers, the Himachal government has initiated a Natural Farming-Based Sustainable Food System, under which Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) are being established with 50-50 per cent funding support from the government and NABARD. Till date, seven FPCs have been created in Himachal.

The state government is promoting products grown through natural farming under the ‘Him-Bhog’ brand, ensuring that consumers receive highly nutritious and chemical-free produce.

In the last season, the government procured 399 metric tonnes of maize from 1,509 farmers across 10 districts, distributing Rs 1.40 crore to them.

This year, the state government has purchased 2,123 quintals of wheat from 10 districts, providing Rs 1.31 crore to farmers through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Additionally, 127.2 quintals of raw turmeric cultivated naturally in six districts has also been procured, for which farmers received a payment of Rs 11.44 lakh.

To ensure transparency in the sale of natural produce, the government has introduced an innovative self-certification system certified evaluation tool for agriculture resource analysis — natural farming (CETARA-NF), under which 196,892 farmers have already been certified.

–IANS

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