Govt to procure cow dung manure at Rs 3 a kilo from Dec 11: Minister

The state government has decided to procure cow dung manure instead of cow dung at the rate of Rs 3 a kilo from December 11, said Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar while addressing mediapersons at Jawali in Kangra district today.

He said that the state government had made appropriate collection arrangements and the manure would initially be made available for gardening and apple crop in packets of 5 kg, 10 kg, 20 kg, 50 kg to 500 kg. He added that a plan was being made to sell the manure for gardening in Shimla, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts.

The minister said that the government would sell manure for Rs 12 a kilo. He added that in the near future, by mapping with remote sensing, an attempt was being made to change the land use pattern under which farming would be done according to the size and capacity of the field.

Sources said that the department had already started collecting cow dung manure through its own field staff and the sellers were likely to be paid on December 11 to mark the commencement of the scheme. It would be projected as the fulfillment of another guarantee made before the 2022 Assembly elections.

Kuldip Dhiman, Deputy Director (Agriculture for Kangra at Palampur), told The Tribune, “The department has asked its field officers to start collecting cow dung manure in compost or vermicompost form for Rs 3 a kilo. I appeal to all farmers to bring cow dung in manure form to the nearest agriculture office and they will be instantly paid for it.”

Dhiman said that the department was fully prepared to collect the manure which would be used for agricultural and allied purposes.