Agri Minister urges farmers to diversify into cash crops
Reaffirming the Himachal Pradesh Government’s commitment towards the welfare of the farming community, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Prof Chander Kumar today said numerous welfare schemes are being implemented to ensure the economic prosperity of farmers, horticulturist and livestock rearers in the state.
He was addressing farmers and horticulturists during a day-long Kisan Mela organised by the Agriculture Department at Rajgarh in Sirmaur district.
Paying tribute to the visionary leadership of Himachal Pradesh’s founding father Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar, Prof Kumar said it is due to Dr Parmar’s farsighted policies that the state was witnessing remarkable progress. He emphasised that over 90% of the state’s population is engaged in agriculture and that the current government was committed to ensuring fair prices for their produce.
“Himachal has become the first state in the country to declare minimum support prices (MSP) for naturally grown agricultural products,” the minister announced. “We have fixed the MSP for naturally grown wheat at Rs 60 per kg, maize at Rs 40 per kg, and turmeric at Rs 90 per kg. Similarly, the support price for cow milk has been fixed at Rs 51 per litre and for buffalo milk at Rs 61 per litre, thereby strengthening the financial condition of livestock farmers.”
Highlighting the agricultural strengths of the Pachhad Assembly constituency, Prof Kumar noted that the region is known for cultivating high-value cash crops such as tomato, ginger, capsicum, peas and garlic. It also yields significant quantities of fruits like peach, apple and kiwi.
He encouraged farmers to construct rainwater harvesting ponds and use stored water for irrigation to reduce dependency on erratic rainfall. “Alongside traditional farming, farmers should also diversify into cash crops to enhance their income,” he added.
Underscoring the government’s emphasis on promoting poison-free natural farming, Prof Kumar said that under the ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) project, nearly Rs. 3 crore was disbursed as subsidies to around 11,000 natural farming practitioners in Sirmaur during the last financial year.
Additionally, the Agriculture Department spent Rs 7.64 crore in Sirmaur district in the previous fiscal year to support farmers. This includes Rs 3.16 crore under the Chief Minister’s Crop Protection Scheme, benefitting 79 farmers; Rs 1.90 crore under the Agriculture Mechanization Sub-scheme, benefitting 119 farmers; and Rs. 1.85 crore under the Chief Minister’s Agricultural Promotion Scheme, through which 14,295 farmers were benefitted.
The Agriculture Minister directed department officials to reach out to farmers at the grassroots level and equip them with knowledge of modern farming techniques through on-field training.
On the sidelines of the Kisan Mela, Prof Kumar also inspected an exhibition put up by the Agriculture Department and felicitated progressive farmers engaged in natural farming.
Former Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Gangu Ram Musafir, Congress leader Dayal Pyari, and Chairman of the Rajgarh ATMA Committee Inder Singh Kanwar also shared their views during the event.
ATMA Project Director Dr Sahab Singh welcomed the minister and provided insights into the ongoing schemes under the agency. Deputy Director of Agriculture Dr Rajkumar also shared detailed information on departmental initiatives.
Himachal Tribune