Shimla, Apr 24 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government will spend Rs 2,000 crore in the current financial year to strengthen the agriculture and horticulture sectors in the state and boost rural economy, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Thursday.

Presiding over a meeting with senior officials of departments of agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors here, the chief minister said the state government was working to develop the most favourable infrastructure for the processing and marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce.

Emphasising the contribution of livestock in strengthening the rural economy, Sukhu said that innovative measures were being undertaken with a positive outlook to enhance the dairy sector, a statement issued here said.

He said the state government has launched the ‘Him Ganga Yojana’ on a pilot basis in Hamirpur and Kangra districts with an aim to increase milk production.

Besides, Milkfed had set up 120 automated and 32 digital milk collection units in Mandi, Kullu and Shimla.

Further, to promote natural farming, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of turmeric, wheat and maize produced through organic farming has been fixed at Rs 90, Rs 60 and Rs 40 per kilogram, respectively, for this financial year, he said.

The government also aims to bring one lakh new farmers under natural farming this year, the statement added. PTI BPL HVA