Model villages to be developed in all Shimla blocks for natural farming: DC

Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap on Friday said that model villages would be developed in all blocks of Shimla district under the National Mission on Natural Farming, which would serve as centres of excellence for natural farming.

He said that one such village would be identified in each block of the district. “In these model villages, various schemes of the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and Animal Husbandry Departments would be implemented jointly to provide maximum benefits to farmers,” he added.

During the financial year 2025-26, 6,720 farmers in Shimla had benefited from the incentive scheme. So far, more than 6,720 farmers had been registered under the programme in the district.

The decision was taken during a meeting to review the annual plan for natural farming in Shimla district held here on Friday. “Two model villages will be established in Tutu block of Shimla city. The initiative will be integrated with the Panchayati Raj system of the Rural Development Department through various departmental schemes to ensure maximum participation of public representatives,” he said.

Under the scheme, around 2,500 hectares had been covered under 50 identified clusters in Shimla district during the financial year 2025-26, with a target of benefiting 7,000 farmers. Around Rs 4.21 crore had been allocated for the purpose. Now, 18 new clusters would be created in the district, taking their total number to 68. An expenditure of Rs 4.27 crore would be incurred on these projects.

Kashyap said that these villages would provide facilities for farmer training, experience sharing and the exchange of innovative agricultural techniques. He added that the initiative would be an important step towards establishing a self-reliant and sustainable agricultural system and would also play a vital role in strengthening the rural economy.

Under the National Mission on Natural Farming launched by the Central Government, model villages (Adarsh Gram) would be developed in the district to promote natural farming. In these villages, farmers would be encouraged to adopt natural farming practices by reducing their dependence on fertilisers and pesticides.

Farmers would also be provided training, technical guidance and necessary assistance. Demonstration plots for natural farming would be developed on farmers’ fields, where practical demonstrations of Jeevamrit, Beejamrit, Ghanjeevamrit, mulching and other natural farming methods would be conducted. These demonstrations would encourage nearby farmers to learn and adopt these techniques in their own fields.

For the successful implementation of the scheme, 33 Bio-Input Resource Centres (BRCs) had been established in the district. Over 136 trained Krishi Sakhis had also been deployed to provide technical guidance and essential organic inputs to farmers practising natural farming.