Agriculture minister inaugurates Rs 1.73 cr sub-vegetable market at Jachh in Mandi

In a major boost to agriculture and horticulture in Himachal Pradesh, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar inaugurated a sub-vegetable market at Jachh in the Nachan Assembly constituency of Mandi district today. Built at a cost of Rs 1.73 crore, the facility is expected to benefit thousands of farmers and horticulturists from nine surrounding gram panchayats by offering them nearby marketing access and better price realization for their produce.

The newly inaugurated mandi features eight shops, an auction platform, two rest rooms for farmers, a canteen, a sarai (inn) and staff quarters, among other essential facilities. The nine panchayats set to benefit are Jachh, Jhungi, Gharot, Katachi, Charkhadi, Paresi, Mashogal, Badhu, and Bahi-Sarhi.

The minister emphasised that this initiative would significantly reduce farmers' dependency on distant mandis, cutting down on transportation costs and ensuring better profits through local access to markets. “This sub-market yard reflects our government’s commitment to strengthening the rural economy through sustainable agriculture,” he said.

The minister highlighted the state's ongoing efforts to uplift farmers’ income, noting that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the government has introduced several farmer-friendly measures over the past two years. These include the declaration of minimum support prices (MSP) for milk, with cow milk now purchased at Rs 51 per litre (up from Rs 31) and buffalo milk at Rs 61 per litre.

He also announced a proposed policy shift to empower women-led dairy cooperatives. “We are considering amending the cooperative registration policy to allow SDMs (Sub-Divisional Magistrates) to approve registrations of women dairy cooperatives, simplifying the process and encouraging more participation,” he said.

Chander Kumar further highlighted the growing demand for naturally grown maize and wheat from Himachal, stating that farmers are receiving some of the highest market prices in the country. MSP for wheat and maize has been fixed at Rs 60 and Rs 40 per kg respectively. In Mandi district alone, 65 metric tonnes of maize and 30 metric tonnes of wheat have been procured.

Over 44,000 farmers in the district have adopted natural farming practices across 8,000 hectares, a testimony to the success of the government’s push for sustainable agriculture. The minister also mentioned the fixed MSP of Rs 90 per kg for raw turmeric and ongoing efforts to integrate its use into the cosmetic industry owing to its medicinal value.

Looking ahead, he reiterated the state government’s aim to digitise all mandis and link them to global markets to increase farmers’ reach and income.

On this occasion, Chander Kumar also announced the construction of additional rooms for the farmer rest house at the Jachh sub-mandi.

The minister honoured local resident Ramki Devi and her son Chaman Lal for donating land for the mandi, acknowledging their contribution to community development.

On this occasion, he was accompanied by APMC Chairman Sanjeev Guleria, Nachan MLA Vinod Kumar, former CPS Sohan Lal Thakur and other local leaders.