Shimla, April 6- Himachal Pradesh focuses on consolidating natural farming practices to benefit farmers
Himachal Pradesh’s PK3Y prioritizes consolidation of natural farming techniques to strengthen farmers’ position and enhance the state’s economy.
Rakesh Kanwar, the Secretary Agriculture, addressed a meeting of Agriculture department officers in Shimla, where he stressed the need to increase the area under natural farming.
” Over 1.5 lakh farmers have already adopted natural farming techniques in agriculture and horticulture in Himachal. And a study by an outside agency has shown that 28 per cent of farmers outside PK3Y have adopted natural farming techniques through peer-to-peer learning without any training. The diffusion effect is so high. So we should work on consolidating the existing farmers, increasing their area under natural farming, conducting refresher workshops, capacity building training and exposure visits etc.,” he stated.
Kanwar emphasized that the benefits of natural farming techniques are well-established, and the goal is to consolidate and strengthen the existing farmers practising natural farming techniques.
Meanwhile, Naresh Thakur, the State Project Director of PK3Y, shared that over 51,000 farmers have been certified under PK3Y. The plan for this year is to approve all 1.5 lakh farmers practising natural farming in the state. He added that the natural farming model villages in Himachal Pradesh will also be strengthened.
Consolidating natural farming practices is expected to benefit farmers, the environment, and the state’s overall economy. He concluded that Himachal Pradesh is on track to become a leading example of natural farming practices with the efforts of the government and the PK3Y.
