Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: State launches drive to empower farmers with modern techniques

The State Agriculture Department has launched a 15-day campaign, ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’, to empower farmers through modern agricultural practices and awareness programs. The initiative was inaugurated on Thursday by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar in Jawali, his home constituency. The campaign will run across the state from May 29 to June 12, reaching farmers at the block and gram panchayat levels.

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Speaking at the launch event, Chander Kumar emphasised that the campaign aims to make farmers self-reliant by equipping them with modern techniques, innovations, and detailed information on welfare schemes of both central and state governments. He noted that the campaign will focus on educating farmers about organic and natural farming, advanced seed varieties, drone technology, digital agriculture, agri-startups, crop insurance schemes, and emerging agricultural technologies.

Highlighting the broader goals of the initiative, the minister stated, “This campaign is not just about boosting production but is a step towards increasing farmers’ income by connecting them with new ideas, technologies, and policies.” He added that 40 departmental teams have been constituted for the campaign, including agriculture scientists, animal husbandry experts, progressive local farmers, and district-level nodal officers.

To promote natural farming, the minister announced that the state is offering Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Rs 60 per kg for naturally grown wheat, Rs 40 per kg for maize, and Rs 90 per kg for raw turmeric, which is expected to enhance farmers’ income.

Technical sessions were conducted during the event, with experts from Agricultural University Palampur, Dr YS Parmar Horticulture and Forestry University Solan, and ICAR providing valuable guidance. Soil health cards were distributed to farmers based on soil tests.

The event was jointly organized by the Agricultural Science Center and the Department of Agriculture and saw participation from around 300 farmers. Minister Chander Kumar also flagged off a mobile soil testing vehicle that will travel village to village to analyse soil nutrients.

Nauni varsity launches statewide farmer outreach

Solan: In a major push to prepare farmers for the upcoming cropping season, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has launched a fortnight-long outreach initiative under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, a national campaign by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The programme is being conducted in collaboration with the university’s five Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and research stations.

As part of this initiative, 12 expert teams comprising scientists from UHF, KVKs (Solan, Shimla, Kinnaur, Chamba, and Tabo), and Regional Horticultural Research and Training Stations (RHRTS) at Mashobra and Sharbo are visiting villages across Himachal Pradesh. Their goal is to provide farmers with modern agricultural knowledge, promote high-quality seed use, and spread awareness about various central agricultural schemes. The outreach also aims to deliver technical support and advisories directly to farmers’ doorsteps.