Shimla: To strengthen the rural economy, the Himachal Pradesh government has fixed the highest support price for wheat and maize, besides promoting natural farming.
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to purchase wheat at Rs 40 per kg and maize at Rs 30 per kg from farmers engaged in natural farming, an official statement said.
This initiative not only uplifts farmers financially but also champions eco-friendly agricultural practices. The government has procured 398 metric tonnes of naturally grown maize from 1,508 farmers so far.
A total of Rs 1.19 crore has been directly transferred to their bank accounts. To promote natural farming, the government has launched Him Bhog-Him Makki Atta in the market.
Farmers are further assured of a stable income, with a commitment to purchase up to 20 quintals of maize from each family growing produce through natural farming. The government also launched the Rajiv Gandhi Natural Farming Start-up Yojana as part of the Rs 680 crore Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Scheme. This scheme is also integrating agriculture with employment generation.