One lakh farmers to be brought under Natural Farming this year: Sukhu

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated here today that the Agriculture Department has set a target to integrate one lakh farmers with natural farming during the year 2026. He said the state government is actively promoting natural farming and continuously encouraging farmers to adopt this method, as it enables them to earn higher profits at lower costs. He added that so far, 2,22,893 farmer and horticulturist families have adopted natural farming practices. The method has reached 99.3 percent of the state’s panchayats and was currently being practiced on 38,437 hectares of land.

The Chief Minister further said that more than two lakh farmers engaged in natural farming have been registered, out of which 1,98,000 have already been issued certificates. He added that under the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana, the use of chemical inputs is discouraged, while inputs based on indigenous cow dung, cow urine and local plant resources are promoted. The key objectives of the scheme include environmental conservation, promotion of crop diversification, and reduction in the cost of cultivation.

Sh. Sukhu asserted that the state government is offering the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the country for naturally grown produce to ensure fair returns for farmers. This year, the MSP for naturally grown wheat has been increased from Rs. 60 to Rs 80 per kg, maize from Rs. 40 to Rs. 50, barley from the Pangi Valley from Rs. 60 to Rs 80, and natural turmeric from Rs. 90 to Rs. 150 per kg.

He said that the Pangi subdivision has been declared the state’s first fully natural farming subdivision. He added that ginger has also been brought under MSP for the first time at Rs. 30 per kg. Additionally, the procurement price of cow milk has been enhanced to Rs. 61 per litre and buffalo milk to Rs. 71 per litre.

The Chief Minister stated that agriculture remains the backbone of the state’s economy, as nearly 90 percent of the population lives in rural areas, with 53.95 percent directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The sector contributes about 14.70 percent to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. Keeping this in view, he affirmed that the government is committed to strengthening the rural economy through progressive policies and farmer-friendly initiatives. He added that to ensure better and remunerative prices for farmers, naturally produced maize and wheat flour are being marketed under the brand name ‘Him’.