Over 2K quintals of naturally grown wheat procured from farmers: Himachal Pradesh Govt
The Himachal Pradesh government procured 2,123 quintals of naturally grown wheat and 127 metric tonnes of turmeric from farmers, transferring over ₹2.41 crore via DBT. It also bought 399 MT of maize last season and plans to procure 40 MT of barley. Over 3 lakh farmers received natural farming training.
Shimla: The state govt has procured 2,123 quintals of naturally grown wheat this year at the rate of Rs 60 per kg from 838 farmers, and Rs 1.27 crore was transferred through direct benefit transfer (DBT) into their bank accounts, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Himachal govt stated in a release on Monday.In addition, a freight subsidy of Rs 4.15 lakh on the transportation of wheat was also provided. The state govt also purchased 127 metric tonnes of naturally grown raw turmeric at the rate of Rs 90 per kg from farmers in six districts, and Rs 1.14 crore was transferred to their bank accounts, read the statement.The release further stated that the agriculture department purchased 399 MT of naturally grown maize from 1,509 farmers in 10 districts during the last season, and Rs 1.40 crore was transferred to their accounts, thus ensuring them better prices.The Pangi division of Chamba district has been declared the natural farming division of the state, and the govt will procure 40 MT of naturally grown barley at the rate of Rs 60 per kg from the farmers in the area from the last week of September, stated the press release.The state govt has also been selling the products made from naturally grown crops under the brand of ‘Him-Bhog’ and consumers are coming forward to purchase the chemical-free products, the statement added.
The govt further mentioned that to encourage farmers to adopt natural farming, the state was providing training to farmers so that they could grow such crops in their fields. Till now, 3.06 lakh farmers have been provided training in the state.It was stated that 38,437 hectares of land in 3,584 gram panchayats had been brought under natural farming, and over 2.22 lakh farmers were growing various crops in the state.The Himachal govt has set a target of engaging more than one lakh farmers to adopt this initiative during the current financial year. So far, 59,068 farmers and horticulturists in 88 development blocks have filled their registration forms, the statement added.
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Source : The Times Of India
