Efforts to promote farming in Himachal Pradesh

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 10

Various ambitious schemes and programmes are being run by the government for giving a fillip to the agriculture sector, besides strengthening the socio-economic condition of farmers and a provision of Rs 628.52 crore has been made for the agriculture sector in the financial year.

Special efforts are being made to make Himachal self-sufficient in agricultural production and to improve economy of farmers with special emphasis on crop diversification, increasing agricultural production and improving quality of the produce, a spokesperson of the state government said here today.

About 9.44 lakh hectares of land is under cultivation in the state and it contributes about 13.62 per cent to the GDP.

The Prakritik Kheti, Khushhal Kisan Yojna is being implemented to enhance the farmers’ income by reducing the cost of crop production. A sum of Rs 58.46 crore has been spent under this scheme till date, he said.

As many as 1,71,063 farmers have adopted natural farming covering 9,421 hectares and a target of bringing 50,000 acres under natural farming has been set.

The Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Promotion Project is being implemented to promote crop diversification. In view of the successful results of JICA phase-1 in the state, JICA phase-2 has also been approved. Under this, a budget of Rs 1010.13 crore has been proposed.

Moreover, the State Agricultural Mechanisation Programme for the mechanisation in the agriculture sector is being implemented in the state.

Under this scheme, power tillers and power weeders, brush cutters, rota weeders, chaff cutters, wheat thrashers, maize shellers, crop reapers, etc are being provided to the farmers on a subsidy and Rs 74.88 crore has been spent under it in the last four years.

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