Farming for the future: State’s new roadmap for profitable agriculture

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chandra Kumar on Saturday said the state government was promoting a scientific approach to strengthen agriculture and the Agriculture Road Map and Rabi Action Plan will provide new direction to farmers for profitable farming. He was addressing the regional workshop on “State Agriculture Road Map and Rabi Action Plan” organised at the Indian Potato Research Institute under Vikasit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA).

The minister noted that the country is still agriculture-based, with the sector contributing 14 per cent to GDP. He added that research from scientists at agricultural universities and research centres has significantly contributed to the agriculture sector.

The regional workshop aims to obtain institutional perspectives on the topic “State Agricultural Priorities and Strategies to be Implemented” from State Agricultural Universities, State Government Departments, and ICAR Institutes. Its main objective is to prepare an agricultural roadmap for the next five years (2025-2030) for Himachal Pradesh and ensure effective implementation of the Unnat Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan-2025.

Kumar said that Himachal is moving towards natural farming, but the importance of cattle cannot be ignored. He stated that officers have been sent to Dehradun for training to connect the agriculture sector with modern technologies like remote sensing.

The Minister highlighted several initiatives, including a historic increase in milk prices to strengthen farmers’ economies and the setup of a modern milk processing plant at Dhagwar at a cost of Rs 250 crore, which will be operated by the Dairy Development Authority.

He emphasised the need to identify the agro-climate in the state and bring diversity, while minimising pesticide use to protect the environment and human health. The Agriculture Roadmap will focus on the state’s leading role in natural farming, leveraging agro-climatic diversity, and establishing coordination with national campaigns.

Dr SK Chauhan, Director, Nauni Research Centre; Dr Vinod Sharma, Director, Extension Education, Palampur Agriculture University; and Dr Alok Kumar, Head of Department of Social Sciences, CPRI Shimla, also expressed their views. Dr Brijesh Singh, Director, ICAR-CPRI Shimla, delivered the welcome address.