Shimla: With chemical inputs on farms on the decline, and farmers taking to organic manure, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the government was preparing a policy to encourage organic farming in the state.
Responding to a question by Anil Sharma (Congress), Dhumal let the Vidhan Sabha know during question hour that use of chemical pesticides was on the decline in Himachal.
For boosting productivity farmers had aggressively adopted vermiculture as there were over 4 lakh vermin compost units in the state that produced over 16 lakh tons of organic manure.
The government was considering recognizing a body of retired farm scientists for certification purposes of organic farms and organic produce, he said. The government would soon come out with an organic farming policy, he added.
The chief minister mentioned that land locked valleys like Pangi in Chamba district and Dodra Kwar in Shimla district had never used any chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides for growing crops.
As demand for organic produce was rising, the produce from such regions could easily get premium prices for the crops grown, he added.
He said that the states demand for organic manure was about 28 lakh tons and the government had set up 20 worm hatcheries from where earthworms for vermin-culture were being provided free to the farmers.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
