Scaling-Up of Protected Cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, India

Himachal Pradesh (HP) is a hill state where a majority of marginal and small farmers practise traditional farming, which is not remunerative. A manifold increase in the resource-use efficiency in crop production can be obtained through protected cultivation compared to open-field conditions. Protected cultivation can help marginal and small farmers provided the financial and extension services for infrastructural development and transfer of technology are speeded-up to bring the desired technology to the region. In protected cultivation, high-value cash crops, vegetables and flowers are grown and managed under controlled conditions with higher per unit productivity and profitability. Protected cultivation has become a new agri-entrepreneurship in HP with the support of state and central governments. The state government has initiated protected farming through Horticultural Technology Mission and Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan Samridhi Yojna. Consequently, a large number of polyhouses (>8000) have been constructed in the state with about 223.2 ha area under protected cultivations. To achieve these targets, the State Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture as well as two State Agricultural Universities through their 12 Krishi Vigyan Kendras have worked hand-in-hand to make this enterprise a great success. This article presents status and promotional programmes on scaling-up of protected cultivation as well as the potential and prospects of this new agri-entrepreneurship in economic development and transformation of rural livelihoods in HP.