Natural farming to be adopted in all farms under agriculture dept: CM Sukhu

All farms under the Agriculture Department will be fully developed for natural farming by next year, with a focus only on producing seeds for natural farming, said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday.

Chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture department here, he said that one lakh families would be linked with natural farming in the coming year, according to a statement issued here.

He directed the department to map farmers cultivating wheat and maize through natural farming methods across the state and issued instructions for the establishment of high-tech storage centres for the grains produced through natural farming.

Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh was on its way to becoming a leading state in natural farming, and the state government was leaving no stone unturned to achieve this goal with a view to benefit the maximum farming community.

It is important to adopt natural treatment methods for disease management in the crops grown naturally, he said and stressed developing a certification process for natural farming seeds and directed the department to establish a high-end laboratory for testing soil and seeds to support natural farming initiatives.

He said that to strengthen the rural economy, the state government was planning to open processing plants for turmeric and ginger. Apart from this, the government was also contemplating, starting dairy-based degree courses at Chaudhary Sarvan Kumar Agricultural University, Palampur, to encourage youth in this sector.

For better marketing of products grown through natural farming, he instructed the department to coordinate with e-commerce platforms. The chief minister was apprised that 3,989 quintals of maize grown through natural farming were purchased during the 2024-25 Kharif season. The target for the upcoming Rabi season has been set at 8,050 quintals.