Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 12 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said the State Government was constantly striving to strengthen the rural economy and a potato processing plant would be set up in Una district at a cost of about Rs 20 crore, according to the release.
He said the support price would soon be declared for potatoes to strengthen the farmers’ economy.
The Chief Minister chaired the state-level Multi-Stakeholder Consultative conference organised by Himachal Pradesh Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network.
He said the state government was promoting green energy and natural farming strongly. The minimum support price for crops produced from natural farming has been fixed and will be further increased in the coming year. Highlighting the importance of natural farming, he said many new schemes will be implemented in the coming year to boost the rural economy, as per the release.
Sukhu said that after the north-eastern states of the country, the highest increase in cancer cases had been witnessed in Himachal Pradesh. Efforts were on to find out the root cause, and a change in food habits could also be a main reason for the rise in cancer cases.
The Chief Minister said that 80 per cent of the state’s population depends on agriculture for livelihood, and agriculture is the backbone of Himachal’s economy, contributing about 14 per cent to the state’s GDP. He also expressed concern over the changing weather patterns, which were adversely affecting the agriculture sector. He added that these challenges could be faced effectively by taking steps like climate-tolerant agriculture, promotion of pulses, extensive animal husbandry, more use of traditional seeds, emphasising water security and soil conservation, etc.
He said traditional seeds and crops grown through natural farming were rich in nutrition and also required less water. We need to reuse such traditional crops, which must be further improved through research to ensure nutritious food and a clean environment for future generations.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also released a book based on the experiences of natural farming. He praised the farmers engaged in natural farming and detailed the efforts being made by the state government in promoting this system of agriculture.
Padma Shri Nek Ram Sharma informed the Chief Minister about the conference. He also discussed the importance of millets and the conservation of water, forests, and land.
MLA Harish Janartha, Padma Shri Hariman, agriculture expert Dr. Sabyasachi Das, agriculture experts, senior officials of the Agriculture department, stakeholders, and representatives of the agricultural university were present on this occasion. (ANI)