CM Launches Simplified Registration Form to Promote Natural Farming in Himachal Pradesh.
Shimla:
In a bid to further promote natural farming practices in the state, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today launched a simplified registration form for farmers during the MLAs’ priorities meeting. The form, which can be filled out either online or offline, aims to streamline the process of enrolling farmers into the natural farming initiative.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the form would allow farmers to easily connect with natural farming by providing essential information, such as details about their land, crops, animal breeds, and training related to natural farming. These registration forms will be distributed to farmers across all Panchayats in the state. CM Sukhu believes that this move will provide a significant boost to natural farming in Himachal Pradesh during the 2025-26 farming season.
Highlighting the state’s efforts in promoting sustainable agriculture, Sukhu shared that the government recently procured 398.976 MT of naturally grown maize from 1,508 farmers at the highest Minimum Support Price (MSP) in the country—Rs 30 per kg. He also announced that a similar procurement process would be followed for naturally grown wheat, with an MSP of Rs 40 per kg in the upcoming season.
The Chief Minister further mentioned that the state’s initiative includes the sale of maize flour under the brand name ‘Him Bhog.’ Since the product’s launch, 38.225 MT of maize flour has been sold through 1,054 Fair Price Shops, while 73.52 MT has been distributed through the Wholesale units of the HP State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd, as of February 1, 2025.
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Minister Chander Kumar provided additional details, stating that ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) staff would verify the forms submitted by farmers in the field. The registration form will be linked to the CETARA-NF (Certified Evaluation Tool of Agriculture Resources Analysis of Natural Farming) portal under the PK3Y scheme, ensuring efficient monitoring and evaluation of the farmers’ participation.
The launch event was attended by several prominent officials, including Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Ayush Minister Yadvender Goma, Vice Chairman of the State Planning Board Bhawani Singh Pathania, Deputy Chief Whip Kewal Singh Pathania, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena, and other senior officers.
This initiative is part of the state government’s ongoing commitment to promote sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices, benefiting both the environment and the livelihoods of farmers in Himachal Pradesh.
