In Himachal Pradesh, a green revolution is underway with natural farming taking root across the state. Right now, 222,893 farmers in 3,584 panchayats are growing a wide range of chemical-free crops on 38,437 hectares of land. Thanks to the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the government, these farmers are building a sustainable livelihood without relying on harmful chemicals.
The Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government has trained a whopping 3.06 lakh farmers and horticulturists in natural farming techniques. They’re aiming big this fiscal year, targeting to bring in one lakh new farmers. So far, 59,068 of them from 88 development blocks have registered with the Agriculture Department, showing real enthusiasm for this eco-friendly shift.
Farmers are loving it—they’re not just producing healthier crops but also getting fair prices that boost their income. As CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu puts it, “Strengthening the rural economy is our top priority. In the last two-and-a-half years, we’ve rolled out several schemes to empower farmers, hike their earnings, and uplift living standards. With nearly 90 percent of Himachal’s people living in villages and agriculture as their main job, our policies make sure money flows directly to rural hands.”
To make this possible, the Himachal government offers attractive MSP rates: Rs 40 per kg for maize, Rs 60 per kg for wheat, Rs 90 per kg for raw turmeric, and Rs 60 per kg for barley from the Pangi region. It’s all part of promoting natural farming in Himachal Pradesh as a smart way to support sustainable agriculture.
Adding more muscle to these efforts, the state has launched the Natural Farming-Based Sustainable Food System. Under this, they’re setting up Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) with 50-50 percent funding from the government and NABARD. Seven such FPCs are already up and running in Himachal, helping farmers team up and sell better.
You can spot these natural farming products under the catchy ‘Him-Bhog’ brand, promising consumers nutritious, chemical-free goodies straight from the fields.
The results are pouring in. Last season, the government bought 399 metric tonnes of maize from 1,509 farmers across 10 districts, paying out Rs 1.40 crore. This year, they’ve procured 2,123 quintals of wheat from 10 districts, transferring Rs 1.31 crore directly to farmers’ accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Plus, 127.2 quintals of naturally grown raw turmeric from six districts fetched farmers Rs 11.44 lakh.
To keep things transparent, Himachal introduced a cool self-certification system called CETARA-NF (Certified Evaluation Tool for Agriculture Resource Analysis – Natural Farming). Already, 196,892 farmers have got certified, ensuring trust in every batch of natural produce.
This push for natural farming in Himachal Pradesh isn’t just good for the environment—it’s transforming lives and putting more money in farmers’ pockets.
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