Himachal Pradesh is grappling with controversy as the Congress-led Sukhu government has decided to discontinue the highly publicised Natural Farming Scheme. This move has ignited a fiery debate in the state, with critics and opposition leaders raising concerns about the ramifications of abandoning a program that had not only received accolades but also significantly transformed the agricultural landscape.
The Natural Farming Scheme, initiated under the previous BJP government, was widely lauded for promoting eco-friendly and sustainable farming practices. It encouraged farmers to shift from conventional chemical-based agriculture to organic farming, thereby reducing the cost of cultivation and producing healthier, environmentally friendly agricultural products. Notably, this program had garnered praise from the Central Government for its outstanding success.
Under the scheme, more than 2 lakh farmer-gardener families across Himachal Pradesh had adopted natural farming methods on full or partial land. This environmentally conscious approach had extended to 99 per cent of the state’s panchayats, covering over 1,17,762 bighas (9,421 hectares) of land. The government’s ambitious target was to expand the area under natural farming to over 20 thousand hectares by the end of 2023.
However, the decision to terminate the Natural Farming Scheme by the Congress government has raised alarms. Opposition leader Jairam Thakur expressed grave concerns over the government’s shift away from a scheme that had significantly benefited farmers, reduced the cost of cultivation, and enhanced the overall quality of agricultural produce.
Thakur accused the government of working against the interests of the people and highlighted their promise of being a “government of happiness” contrasting with the distress being caused to the farmers and gardeners.
The controversy surrounding the discontinuation of this scheme has led to questions about the priorities of the current government. Critics argue that instead of building on the successes of the previous administration, the government appears to be undoing the progress made in agriculture and horticulture.
Farmers, who had embraced natural farming, now find themselves in a state of uncertainty, with the future of their livelihoods hanging in the balance. Moreover, the move to halt the scheme has ignited a political feud, with the opposition demanding transparency and accountability from the government regarding its decisions.
As the controversy rages on, the fate of Himachal Pradesh’s natural farming sector remains uncertain.
