E-Paper
Women spearhead natural farming efforts in Himachal
With 1.71 lakh farmers growing chemical-free crops, the state govt will soon launch an online portal for certification of natural farming
SHIMLA Natural farming in the fields nestled in the lap of the hills of Himachal Pradesh is attracting huge interest. Consumers and farmers alike are pleased with the use of natural resources to grow crops and vegetables without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
Natural farming is being promoted by the government under its ‘Prakritik Kheti, Khushal Kisan Yojana’ scheme, one of many launched by the state government under the leadership of CM Jai Ram Thakur, said the officials.
Interestingly it’s the women who are playing an important role in leading Himachal towards natural farming and crops. The residents of Panjayanu village of Pangana sub-tehsil of Mandi district have set an example by adopting natural farming. Leena Sharma spearheaded the campaign to inspire the villagers to adopt natural farming by setting an example. Sharma got a chance to participate in the training camp of agricultural scientist Padma Shri Subhash Palekar organised by the department of agriculture. After this, she started natural farming in her fields and inspired by her, today about 30 families in the village have adopted it, the officials said.
Another woman from the village, Satya Devi, has become a master trainer of natural farming. Apart from traditional crops, groundnut, garlic, chilli, pulses, beans, tomato, brinjal, capsicum, linseed and coriander are also being cultivated in the village. Natural farming has increased the efficiency and fertility of their fields, while the income of farmers has also increased.
The positive results obtained by women like Leena Sharma and Satya Devi encouraged others in the state. Today, about 9 thousand 421 hectares of land are being cultivated by the natural method by about 1.71 lakh farmers in the state. For the year 2022-23, the state government has set a target of bringing 50,000 acres of land under natural farming. Apart from this, 50,000 farmers will be certified as natural farmers. An online portal is also being developed for this. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also appreciated the model of natural farming in Himachal Pradesh on national forums, the government statement added.
The aim of ‘Prakritik Kheti, Khushal Kisan Yojana’ was to increase income by reducing the input cost for crop production and to save soil and humans from the ill effects of chemical farming. Under this scheme, the solution of indigenous cow dung and cow urine (gau mutra) and some local flora is used for spraying on the crops in place of chemical pesticides.
For the supply of inputs used in natural farming, the government has so far, spent about ₹58.46 crore.
Apart from developing a natural farming model in all 3615 panchayats of the state, work is being done to convert 100 villages into natural farming villages. To make the farmers self-reliant, a target of establishing 10 new FPOs (Farmer-Producer Organization) based on natural farming has been set up in the state. Along with fixing the place for the sale of natural farming products in 10 mandis, two new mandis will also be created. Under this scheme, the state government has made a budget provision of ₹17 crore for the financial year 2022-23.
