Himachal aiming to improve income of farmers

Shimla, May 28 (IANS) A majority of Himachal Pradesh's population lives in rural areas and is directly or indirectly associated with agriculture and double their income, the government is promoting integrated and holistic agricultural activities under the Him Unnati scheme.

Under the programme, there is a plan to form 2,603 clusters across the state. At present, 889 clusters have been identified. A total of 58,278 bighas will be covered that will benefit 28,873 families, an official statement said on Sunday.

Special emphasis is also being laid on ensuring the use of technology in the agriculture sector.

To ensure productive utilisation of the crops, the government focuses on value addition by enhancing the quality, taste and nutritional value of these crops through facilities like grading, processing, packaging, and cold storage.

The state government is encouraging farmers to adopt natural farming to reduce the cost of agriculture, besides improving soil health, reducing environmental pollution and produce chemical-free crops.

Currently, 165,221 farmers in 3,611 panchayats have adopted natural farming and encouraging results are being seen, the statement said.

To promote natural farming, the government is providing a financial assistance for the purchase of indigenous cows. Emphasis is also being laid on setting up special natural farmer-producer organisations in the state.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu, the state government is ensuring the welfare of every section of society, the statement said.

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