24 Una farmers sell 200 quintals of naturally cultivated wheat on Day 1

Twenty-four farmers practicing natural farming sold 200 quintals of organically grown wheat to the Himachal Pradesh Civil Supplies Corporation at the Rampur and Takarla procurement centres in Una district on the first day of procurement.

The farmers will receive Rs 60 per kilogram, a significant increase from last year’s rate of Rs 40. Additionally, they will be paid Rs 2 per kilogram as transportation cost. Progressive farmer Akhil Rana from Panjawar village confirmed that receipts were issued and payments will be credited to their bank accounts. Rama Devi, a farmer from Hamboli village, appreciated the extra transportation support provided for naturally grown wheat.

Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal said the state government is actively promoting natural farming. In Una district alone, 16,000 farmers are practicing natural farming across 2,000 hectares of land. He highlighted that, apart from five varieties of wheat, crops like maize, vegetables, and pulses are also cultivated naturally in the region.

He added that natural farming avoids the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, helping to preserve the environment and enhance soil health. In contrast, conventional farming methods degrade the soil and pollute groundwater through repeated chemical use.

Varinder Bagga, Deputy Director of the District Agriculture Technology Management Agency, noted that farmers can sell their organic wheat at the Rampur center in Una Block and the Takarla center in Amb Block until May 25, between 10 am and 5 pm.

Bhupinder Singh, Secretary of the District Agriculture Produce Market Committee, and Sanjeev Verma, Regional Manager of the HP Civil Supplies Corporation, were also present at the Rampur center to oversee the procurement process.