CM Dhami announces new agricultural initiatives at Silver Jubilee event

New allocations aim to boost horticulture, promote tea tourism, and make Uttarakhand a self-reliant agricultural hub.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that the hard work of farmers forms the real strength of Uttarakhand, as he inaugurated a state-level farmers’ convention at Pantnagar University during the state’s Silver Jubilee celebrations.

Dhami said the state government is working to make Uttarakhand a self-reliant and modern agricultural hub through a series of farmer-centric initiatives.

Dhami said the state government is working to make Uttarakhand a self-reliant and modern agricultural hub through a series of farmer-centric initiatives. The Chief Minister said over 9 lakh farmers in Uttarakhand are receiving direct financial support under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The state government, he added, is providing interest-free loans up to ₹3 lakh, free canal irrigation, and 80% subsidies on agricultural machinery.

Dhami announced new allocations including ₹200 crore for polyhouses, ₹1,000 crore for climate-responsive rain-fed farming, and ₹1,200 crore for horticulture projects covering apples, kiwis, millets and dragon fruit. The state has also increased the procurement bonus for wheat and the price of sugarcane by ₹20 per quintal each.

He said Uttarakhand now ranks fifth in mushroom production and eighth in honey output nationally. The state is also promoting tea tourism in Champawat, Nainital, and Bageshwar to generate employment opportunities in rural areas.

Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi, who also attended the event, said that Uttarakhand has seen “unprecedented progress” in agriculture and horticulture over the past 25 years. He noted that more than 1.65 lakh women in the state have become financially independent as “Lakhpati Didis” through self-help groups.