DW BUREAU / Shimla

Himachal Pradesh government has unveiled a new initiative Him-Unnati, aimed at promoting natural farming across the state, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Friday. With an allocation of Rs 150 crore, this scheme will bolster the efforts of approximately 1.92 lakh farmers already practising chemical-free farming on over 32,149 hectares of land. The programme will focus on making the agriculture sector economically viable through a cluster-based development model and promoting natural farming, he said in a statement.

Under the Him-unnati scheme, the government will consolidate smallholding farmers to enable bulk production, ensuring a sufficient marketable surplus. The initiative will also integrate various ongoing agricultural schemes and coordinate with departments such as Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Fisheries, and Rural Development to maximize the scheme's impact, the statement said.

Sukhu said that "the scheme would particularly benefit small and marginal farmers, women farmers, and those from weaker sections of society, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

"The scheme is expected to generate self-employment opportunities for approximately 50,000 farmers through the creation of 2,600 focused agricultural clusters. Additionally, it is anticipated to increase productivity by 15-20 percent in vegetables and cereals in the State", he added.

The government has earmarked Rs 50 crore for the current fiscal year to establish 10 new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and an additional Rs 10 crore for assistance with wire mesh and barbed wire. "As part of our commitment to promote natural farming, the state government will procure up to 20 quintals of naturally grown grains per family at a rate of Rs 40 per kg for wheat and Rs 30 per kg for maize. This initiative aims to encourage chemical-free farming and foster agricultural entrepreneurship in the state" said the Chief Minister.

The scheme will provide essential capacity-building training and financial assistance to strengthen the farming community's economy and contribute to the state's goal of self-reliance, the

statement added.
(editor@dailyworld.in)