Why in news:

• With an objective to increase farmers' income, the state government of Himachal Pradesh has announced that exclusive organic models for off-season crops will be set up in villages and remunerative cash crops will be introduced as per land use and crop pattern suitability in rainfed areas of the state.

Key Points:

• According to the officials of the agriculture department, farmers have benefited from off-season cash crops like tomato, cucumber, karela (bitter gourd) which are in great demand in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh during monsoons, while off-season crops like cauliflower, potato and beans fetch good prices during the months of May-June.
• The state government in this regard has stated that the aim is to increase farmers' income and ensure them monthly returns of Rs 35,000 and traditional crops like chana (gram) would be revived. The department has further planned that added that the agriculture department would buy cow and buffalo milk for Rs 80 and Rs 100 per liter respectively and sell the by-products.
• Need-based demands of 'clusters of farmers' engaged in cultivation of different crops would be accessed so that they could be provided aid accordingly. According to the concerned officials, all schemes do not suit people working in specific fields and therefore it was decided that clusters of farmers engaged in different crops be made and need-based demand be accessed.
• The agriculture department is in the process of identifying clusters of farmers growing exotic and off-season vegetables like ginger, potato, heeng, kesar, garlic, cabbage, pulses, leafy vegetables, millets or are involved in wheat seed production, so that need-based help could be provided to them. According to the officials at the agriculture department, the idea is to fill the gap in technology, tools, mechanism, pesticides, post harvesting, grading, branding and other activities with financial and non-financial interventions.