Himachal progressive growers trained in natural farming methods

A group of progressive farmers from Jhandutta block of Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, visited leading agricultural institutions in Karnal to gain first-hand exposure to advanced natural farming technologies and sustainable agricultural practices.

During the visit, the farmers interacted with scientists and progressive farmers to understand practical models of natural farming and livestock-based agriculture, informed Dr Dalip Gosain, former principal scientist & head, Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Dairy Training Centre, National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI).

While interacting with the visiting group, Dr Gosain emphasised that the hill state possesses natural topographical advantages ideally suited for natural farming. He stated that the diverse agro-climatic conditions and small landholdings in the hills make the state highly conducive for low-input and sustainable agricultural systems.

He shared that nearly 2 lakh farm families in Himachal Pradesh are practicing natural farming on approximately 38,000 hectares of land. He highlighted that Himachal is among the first states to fix Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for natural produce, including Rs 40 per kg for maize, Rs 60 per kg for wheat and Rs 90 per kg for raw turmeric, thereby encouraging farmers to shift towards chemical-free agriculture.

Dr Gosain advised farmers to maintain native cattle breeds such as sahiwal, gir, and rathi, whose dung and urine are essential components of natural farming inputs. The visiting group also toured a progressive dairy farm at Taraori to understand large-scale dairy management practices.

He encouraged farmers to cultivate cash crops , utilise cow dung and cow urine for preparing organic manures and bio-pesticides.