Himachal Pradesh budget announces green development scholarship scheme, boost to natural farming

This year's annual budget for Himachal Pradesh, an environmentally sensitive state, includes special provisions for farmer welfare and dealing with climate change threats. 

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu presented the state’s annual budget for 2024-25 on February 17, 2024. To examine and address the threats of climate change, action plans have been developed at the district and Panchayat levels, he announced.

A new scheme, the Mukhya Mantri Harit Vikas Chhattravriti Yojana (chief minister green development scholarship scheme), has been launched in the budget to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change. Under this scheme, postgraduate science and engineering graduates will receive two-year scholarships to conduct research on climate change and environmental protection in two villages within each assembly.

The CM expressed concern about the impact of climate change during the budget speech, stating he will collaborate with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and German development agency GIZ to mitigate the negative effects of changing climate on agriculture and horticulture. A need assessment study would be carried out for it. 

Last year, the state saw losses of over Rs 10,000 crore due to heavy rains and floods. Experts had also considered illegal mining and construction as a major reason behind the massive devastation caused by the rains. 

To put an end to unscientific and illegal mining in the state, the CM announced the launch of a GIS-based application in the budget that will allow mining activities to be closely monitored in real time. 

Natural farming push

The budget included a provision of Rs 582 crore for farmers. There were big announcements in this budget for environment-friendly natural farming as well. Sukhu announced a Rs 50 crore Rajiv Gandhi Natural Farming Startup Scheme in the state. Under the scheme, 10 farmers from each panchayat will be encouraged to practise chemical-free farming.

This will result in about 36,000 farmers adopting natural farming, the budget said.

Farmers who are already engaged in farming will be given priority. Farmers who continue to participate in this scheme and grow chemical-free grains by eliminating chemicals from wheat and maize will receive a maximum of 20 quintals of grain per family at the minimum support price (MSP).

MSP of wheat, maize and milk increases

To encourage unemployed youth to pursue natural farming, naturally grown wheat will be purchased at Rs 40 per kilogramme and maize at Rs 30 per kg — the highest in the entire country, the budget said. Himachal Pradesh has over 175,000 farmers who farm on more than 30,000 hectares of land.

The budget also ensured farmers’ income increases by linking milk production with natural farming. The MSP for cow and buffalo milk has been raised from Rs 38 per litre to Rs 45 per litre and Rs 47 per litre to Rs 55 per litre, respectively, to encourage farmers to increase milk production, effective April 1, 2024. 

If the farmer receives a higher price for milk on the open market, he is free to sell it there. With an increase in livestock, there will be more cow dung available for natural farming. The government will certify and purchase wheat grown with natural technology. 

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