Mashobra/Shimla: Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla recently visited the Regional Horticulture Research and Training Center in Mashobra, near Shimla, where he urged scientists to come out of their institutes and assist farmers in adopting natural farming completely. Natural farming, a sustainable method of agriculture, has been developed as a model at the center and has received praise from the Governor for its potential to increase farmers’ income and raise the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state.
During an interaction program on “Natural Farming-Safe Option” at the center, Governor Shukla emphasized the importance of promoting natural farming to farmers in the state. He expressed his desire to visit the fields of fruit growers and mentioned that the World Bank is coming forward to help those practising natural farming. He expressed his confidence that Himachal would emerge as a model state in natural farming.
The Governor also acknowledged the center’s pivotal role in horticulture development and meeting the temperate fruit industry’s practical problems and basic needs. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has praised Himachal several times regarding natural farming, and it is now the responsibility of the state to fulfil his expectations.
Under the Subhash Palekar Natural Farming Project, model farms of natural farming will be developed in every Panchayat, and 100 such villages will be selected this year, where every farmer will adopt natural farming. The state government also promotes natural farming and has made provisions for it in the budget.
