No. 1072/2023-PUB17th September 2025
Urges Central Government to run special farmer train
Requests Central Government to fix MSP for crops grown through natural farming
Agriculture Minister Prof. Chander Kumar led the state’s delegation at the two-day National Conference on the Kharif-Rabi Campaign-2025 held in New Delhi. The conference was presided over by the Union Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Detailed discussions were held on agricultural reforms, farmer welfare and policy implementation.
Addressing the occasion, Prof. Chander Kumar urged the Central Government to operate a Farmer Train from Kalka. This initiative would help farmers transport their produce to the market in a time bound manner and also reduce transportation costs. He also appealed to the Central Government to fix a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops grown through natural farming, to promote organic and natural farming practices. He said that the state was already implementing various ambitious schemes to promote natural farming. Himachal Pradesh was the first state in the country to fix a MSP for products grown through natural farming.
The Agriculture Minister also urged to conduct soil surveys at the micro level. He stresses a need for preparing soil fertility maps at the block level, so that scientific and effective land-use plans can be designed based on proper information. Highlighting the importance of remote sensing, he said that in the present context, there was a need to extensively utilize remote sensing in the agriculture sector.
Prof. Chander Kumar further said that Himachal Pradesh was divided into various agro-climatic zones and since different crops have varying climatic requirements, micro-level planning was essential. He said that promoting commercial farming is essential to increase farmers’ income and special focus was being given to potatoes, garlic, fruit crops, turmeric and natural farming in the state. He also stressed the importance of focusing on marketing linkages.
The conference included in-depth discussions on strengthening crop insurance, taking action against fake agricultural inputs, strengthening Agricultural Science Centers and launching the developed Agricultural Resolution Campaign from 3rd October.
The conference concluded with a shared commitment for cooperative efforts between the central and state governments for the overall development of Indian agriculture and the welfare of farmers.
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