Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur promises to double farmers' income in state by 2022

Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur on Monday announced that the state government aims to 'double' farmers income by the year 2022. To attain this, it's focus will be on empowering farmer organisations and Self Help Groups (SHGs), he said. Thakur was speaking at the inaugural session of an international workshop on "Impact of crop diversification on farmers income and food security" at Dharamshala.

Priorities of the state government

Elaborating on his plans, Thakur said, "The focus of the state government is to empower farmers organisations and SHGs at cluster, district and apex levels, implement crop diversification plans (CDPs), post-harvest, value addition etc so that the farm income of the farmers of the State could be double by 2022 as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

He also stated that a majority of the farmers of Himachal were marginal and small, and almost 80 per cent of the farmlands were rainfed and thus, do not rely on artificial irrigation.

The CM added that the state government had already created 59 market yards which would help ensure remunerative price to the farmers. Thakur also claimed that many more such markets were required in the state. "We require many more such markets in the state so that the farmers have easy access to them. The market yards need to be linked with the national agriculture market for better price realisation to the farmers for which the process has already started," he said.

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CM Jai Ram Thakur also said that the state government was committed to providing a legal framework to promote e-National Agriculture Market (NAM) and direct marketing of agriculture produced in the state.

Thakur also revealed that the second phase of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project, which is worth almost Rs 1104 crore will soon be approved and implemented in all 12 districts of the state.

Thakur further said that the Himachal government has started solar fencing project to save the crops from wild animals.

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(With ANI inputs)

(Image Credit: ANI)