Kullu farmers visit natural farm

In a significant step towards promoting sustainable agriculture, 33 farmers from Banjar block of Kullu district participated in a field visit to the Yami Gautam Natural Farming Farm located at Nyuri village of Gohar block in Mandi district yesterday.

The visit was organised under the guidance of the Agriculture Department’s ATMA Project, Kullu, in collaboration with the Farmer Training Centre, Sundernagar.

Dr Om Prakash, Deputy Principal of the Farmer Training Centre, Sundernagar, informed that these farmers are undergoing three-day training on natural farming methods.

As part of the training, the farmers visited the Nyuri farm on the second day where they were given an on-ground demonstration of various naturally cultivated crops.

The farmers observed the cultivation of indigenous turmeric varieties like ‘lakadong’, ‘megha’, and black turmeric, along with black ginger, plum, oranges and garlic — all grown using natural farming techniques.

Experts explained the benefits of this method, which include enhanced soil fertility, soil conservation, biodiversity enrichment and improved crop quality and productivity. Dr Om Prakash highlighted the Himachal Pradesh Government’s initiatives to encourage natural farming practices.

He mentioned that maize grown using natural methods was procured last year. This year, wheat produced through the same method would be purchased by the government at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 60 per kg. Additionally, turmeric cultivated through natural farming would be procured at an MSP of Rs 90 per kg.

During the visit, Dr Vijay, Block Technical Manager, provided in-depth information about natural farming practices to the visiting farmers. He shared that around 4,000 farmers in the Gohar block have been trained in natural farming so far, with approximately 3,200 of them cultivating crops like cauliflower, garlic, maize and wheat over 540.72 hectares using natural methods.

Farmers were also told about the preparation and use of key natural inputs such as ‘Jeevamrit’ and ‘Ghan Jeevamrit’ and were introduced to their application techniques in farming.

Also present at the event were Dr Rajiv Sharma, Training Officer from Sundernagar, Dr Sudhir Kumar, Dr Yadvender Kumar (Assistant Technical Manager, Banjar block), and Dr Murari (Technical Manager), along with participating farmers.

This initiative is part of a broader mission to transition towards eco-friendly farming practices and to ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture in Himachal Pradesh.