Himachal Pradesh’s consistent efforts to promote natural farming are yielding impressive results at the grassroots level. As of now, more than 2,22,893 farmers across 3,584 panchayats are cultivating crops through natural methods on 38,437 hectares of land. This shift not only promotes sustainable agriculture but also provides farmers with a reliable source of income. Notably, the Himachal Pradesh government is offering the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the country for natural produce, further encouraging the transition to eco-friendly farming practices.
Under the leadership of CM Sukhu, the state government has trained 3.06 lakh farmers and horticulturists in natural farming techniques. Looking ahead, the government has set a target to connect one lakh new farmers with the natural farming initiative by 2025-26. So far, 59,068 farmers and horticulturists from 88 development blocks have registered with the Agriculture Department to join this movement.
Farmers participating in the initiative are now producing chemical-free, nutritious crops while receiving fair market prices, thanks to the government’s policy support. This, in turn, is boosting the rural economy, which the Chief Minister emphasized as a top priority. “Nearly 90% of Himachal’s population lives in villages and depends on agriculture. Our focus is to ensure that money flows directly to rural households through sustainable practices,” he said, highlighting the government’s commitment to uplift the agrarian community.
To support farmers financially, the government has implemented attractive MSPs for various naturally grown crops: ₹40/kg for maize, ₹60/kg for wheat, ₹90/kg for raw turmeric, and ₹60/kg for barley (from the Pangi region). In addition, the state has launched a “Natural Farming-Based Sustainable Food System”, which includes the creation of Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) with 50:50 funding support from the State Government and NABARD. So far, seven FPCs have been established.
Natural produce is being marketed under the state’s official brand ‘Him-Bhog’, reinforcing the quality and chemical-free nature of these products. During the last procurement cycle, the government purchased 399 metric tonnes of maize from 1,509 farmers in 10 districts, disbursing ₹1.40 crore to them. In the current year, 2,123 quintals of wheat have been procured from farmers across 10 districts, with ₹1.31 crore paid through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Furthermore, 127.2 quintals of raw turmeric grown in six districts have also been bought, with ₹11.44 lakh disbursed to farmers.
To bring transparency to the entire process, the state has introduced an innovative self-certification system called Certified Evaluation Tool for Agriculture Resource Analysis – Natural Farming (CETARA-NF). Under this model, 1,96,892 farmers have already been certified, ensuring credibility in natural produce across markets.
With these comprehensive efforts, Himachal Pradesh is emerging as a national model for natural farming, drawing attention from agricultural scientists, policymakers, and farmers across the country who are now visiting the state to study and replicate its successful model.
