Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said the agriculture sector plays a major role in the economy of the state and that his government was making efforts to make it profitable.

Thakur said about 90 per cent population of the state live in rural areas, out of which 62 per cent are associated with agriculture activities and are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

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“Agriculture and allied sectors contribute about 12.73 per cent of the state’s gross domestic income, due to which the state government is laying special emphasis on strengthening the agriculture sector to make it profitable. To strengthen the economy of farmers, the state government has taken several initiatives in this direction,” the CM said. Thakur claimed that several irrigation schemes have been started by the Agriculture Department for making water available in every field of the farmers.

“With this, irrigation facility is being provided in 10,428 hectare additional land, benefiting 24,007 farmers of the state. Under Mukhya Mantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojna, solar fencing has been provided to 2,592 farmers for protection of their crop from monkeys and stray animals. To improve the economy of the state, 7,464 hectares of additional land has been brought under cash crops through the Crop Diversification Scheme,” he said.

To increase agricultural production and productivity in the state, 2,63,600 quintals of improved seeds (grains, pulses, oilseeds, fodder crops, vegetables, etc) were being provided to the farmers at subsidised rates, the CM said. Uttam Chara Yojna had been launched to promote animal husbandry, and under the scheme around 50,533 hectares of fodder crops were produced by the beneficiaries.

The Crop Insurance Scheme had been launched to protect the crops of farmers from damage, under which 97,412 farmers have availed the crop insurance facility during Kharif and Rabi seasons. The compensation amount of Rs.19.54 crores has been given to the farmers. During this period, Rs 18.97 crore was paid as premium to the insurance companies.

The CM also said that special campaigns have been launched to control yellow rust disease caused by wheat crop in the state and that yellow rust resistant varieties of wheat had been prepared in the state and periodic diagnosis was done due to which it has been controlled.

He said friendly pests were produced in the state’s bio-control laboratory to control pests that damage crops and in addition to it about 2,900 phiramon traps were planted in the fields stretching over 8,700 hectares for pest control.

“Under the Agricultural Mechanization Scheme, 59,710 farmers were provided with machinery, other equipment and tools for farming for which 50 per cent subsidy had been provided to them.

While under the natural farming scheme, 59,001 farmers have started farming in an area of 3,037 hectare using the natural farming system. Under the solar irrigation scheme, 1,183 solar pumps were installed, which benefited 1,627 farmers,” Thakur added.

About 5.42 lakh hectares of land was being cultivated in HP. Of their farmers, about 87.95 per cent belong to the marginal and small category, 11.71 per cent to the middle category and only 0.34 per cent are big farmers.