CM asks farmers to adopt new tchnologies to increase income

Shimla, Nov 1 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today called upon the farmers of the state to adopt new farming technologies and diversification of crops to enhance their income.

''Agriculture provides employment to nearly 71 per cent of the people and contributes about 22 per cent of the state Gross Domestic Product (SGDP),'' he said, while addressing the 11th Convocation of the Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agricultural University at Palampur in Kangra district.

Mr Singh asked the university to accelerate research work on crop improvement, natural resource management, crop production, protection, post-harvest technology, plant biotechnology besides giving impetus to strategic research.

Research and technology on rain fed farming, high value cash crops, agro eco-tourism and developing entrepreneurial skills of young farmers were necessary to increase vegetable and fruit production in the state, he said.

He emphasized upon the need for a separate agricultural policy for Himlayan Region, saying this was necessary for sustaining agricultural development.

Himachal Pradesh was coming out with a water policy to check its misuse and adoption of ways and means to save it, he said.

The Chief Minister said the state was planning to increase its vegetable production to 1.5 million tonne for which the Agricultural University would have to make renewed efforts.

Farmers in several rural areas, covering about 50,000 hectare, were growing off-season vegetables with an estimated vegetable production of ten-lakh tone, he said, adding that 90,000 hectare area with an investment of Rs 688 crore would be brought under irrigation soon.

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