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Virbhadra favours crop diversification

SHIMLA, NOV. 24 . The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, today said farmers of Theog had led the way in diversification of agricultural activities in the state and strengthening their economy by growing off-season vegetables and cash crops.

The Chief Minister said this while addressing public meeting at Theog in Shimla district after dedicating the Government Degree College building constructed at a cost of Rs 2.80 crores to people. He also dedicated a marketing complex constructed at a cost of Rs 22 lakhs to the people of the area today.

He said the farmers of Theog area had adopted progressive farming by diversification and adopting latest technology of farming which had strengthened their economy. He said Solan district was the first in the state which had made its name in the season vegetables cultivation and their per capita income increased tremendously. He said after Solan, Theog was second and had been marketing about 40,000 metric tonnes of off-season vegetables every year which had doubled their agricultural income.

He said the need of the hour was to cultivate alternate cash crops with apple, so that in case of failure of one crop, the agricultural crop could provide income to the farmers.

He said every day new technologies were emerging in the agriculture sector which needed to be adopted to strengthen the economy of farmers. He said diversification was also important with a view to providing self-employment avenues, which was being encouraged by the state government.

Mr Singh said Himachal was the first state in the country which had provided support price to the perishable commodities like apple and brought mango and other citrus fruits under its fold. He said support price system was introduced with a view to providing growers stable market in selling their produces in the markets.

He said apple cultivation was a major commercial agricultural activity of the state and his government was doing all-out efforts to strengthen the same.

He said the government would be encouraging diversification depending on varying geographical conditions of the state so that entire state could benefit from the practice.

Mr Singh said his government was giving top priority to education, roads and health sectors which were being strengthened by providing them necessary infrastructure and functional posts so that people of the state could avail all the benefits of these sectors.

UNI

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