7 months ago
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Amid a nationalist propulsion for earthy farming, farmers successful Himachal Pradesh are gradually adopting chemical-free cultivation practices. Supported by State policies aligned with sustainable farming, the elevation State is witnessing a quiescent translation that seeks to equilibrium husbandman payment with biology conservation.
Sunil Kumar, 42, a husbandman from Balakrupi colony successful Kangra district, expressed restitution aft receiving a outgo of ₹2.25 lakh for 25 quintals of turmeric this year. “Earlier, I utilized to merchantability people grown earthy turmeric astatine ₹60 a kilogram locally. This time, the State authorities procured it astatine ₹90 a kilogram. I person been increasing turmeric with earthy farming techniques connected 5 bighas of land. I americium present expanding the country nether turmeric to 8 bighas, fixed the profits I person earned this year,” helium said.
“Natural farming has not lone improved ungraded and works wellness connected my farm, but has besides helped maine reap amended yields and profits than chemical-based farming,” helium added. Mr. Kumar shifted to non-chemical earthy farming 3 years agone aft receiving grooming nether the Himachal Pradesh government’s flagship Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y), and present grows cereals and vegetables connected his farm.
Launched 7 years ago, PK3Y promotes non-chemical farming practices. So far, 3.06 lakh farmers person been trained nether the scheme, and 2.22 lakh farmers - including effect growers - are practising it partially oregon afloat connected 38,437 hectares crossed the State. Over 2 lakh farmers are certified nether CETARA–NF (Certified Evaluation Tool for Agriculture Resource Analysis), a self-assessment instrumentality devised nether PK3Y to certify earthy farming practitioners.
Rishu Kumari, 37, a maestro trainer and earthy husbandman from Jamanabad colony successful Kangra district, said she sold 10 quintals of people grown wheat to a authorities bureau astatine ₹60 a kilogram, compared to ₹22 per kilogram successful the section marketplace earlier. Ms. Kumari and different women farmers successful her village, who enactment collectively, present program to summation the country nether wheat cultivation successful the upcoming play owing to the government’s assured pricing and marketplace access.
The Himachal Pradesh authorities has been promoting earthy farming by introducing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for people grown crops specified arsenic maize (₹40 per kg), wheat (₹60 per kg), and earthy turmeric (₹90 per kg) nether PK3Y, to fortify marketplace confidence. It has besides announced procurement of barley from farmers successful the Pangi tribal loop of Chamba territory astatine ₹60 per kg.
Government information amusement that since past year’s maize season, the State has procured 399 metric tonnes of people grown maize from 1,509 farmers and disbursed ₹1.19 crore done Direct Benefit Transfer. Similarly, it procured 212.3 metric tonnes of people grown wheat from 838 farmers, releasing ₹1.31 crore, including freight subsidies introduced successful the 2025-26 State Budget.
Ms. Kumari, who besides sells vegetables locally with different women farmers, said, “The farmers are acold much autarkic present with earthy farming, arsenic it has reduced our dependence connected the market. We tin nutrient each inputs connected our farms. The ungraded texture has improved, accumulation is better, and we tin instrumentality aggregate crops. The government’s inaugural to procure maize and wheat astatine premium prices is simply a large encouragement.”
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the inaugural was aimed astatine encouraging sustainable agriculture. “We privation radical to instrumentality up earthy farming arsenic it is simply a sustainable practice. It is not lone steadfast for farmers, who often fell sick owed to chemic sprays, but besides environmentally affable and yields chemical-free, nutrition-rich crops. The fig of crab cases has been rising successful Himachal Pradesh, and a displacement to chemical-free farming volition surely assistance trim this figure,” helium said.
“We person introduced the highest MSP successful the state for people grown crops similar maize, wheat, earthy turmeric, and barley to motivate farmers. We program to bring much people grown crops nether MSP to springiness it a further boost. Once farmers get bully prices, they volition surely opt for it with interest,” Mr. Sukhu added.
With the announcement of MSPs for accepted crops grown naturally, farmers look to beryllium embracing the signifier measurement by step.
“Obviously, we volition turn the harvest that earns america amended profits. With the authorities present supporting america done MSP, it volition physique up a marketplace for people grown crops. Until now, earthy and chemically grown nutrient were treated alike for pricing successful section mandis,” said Ramesh Chand, a husbandman from Mandi district.
Natural farming avoids the usage of chemic fertilizers and pesticides. It relies connected accepted indigenous methods mostly based connected on-farm biomass recycling, including mulching, the usage of cattle dung and urine formulations, pest absorption done biodiversity, botanical concoctions, and the exclusion of synthetic inputs. The attack focuses connected improving earthy nutrient cycling and ungraded integrated matter, integrating crops, trees, and livestock to maximise ecological equilibrium and functional biodiversity.
