Rs 2000 Crore Announced for Agri-Horti Boost, But Farmers Ask – "Where's Our Compensation for Crop Loss?"

Apple, vegetable crops ruined by storms and drought; no relief, no KCC waiver – only insurance companies prospering

Shimla, 24 April 2025 —

While Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today proudly announced that the state government will spend Rs 2,000 crore this financial year to strengthen agriculture and horticulture, farmers reeling under crop failures due to extreme weather are asking: “What use are big budgets when not a penny reaches the ground?”

At a high-level meeting with agriculture, horticulture and allied departments, CM Sukhu spoke of “innovative measures” and schemes like ‘Him Ganga Yojana’, new milk collection units, and support for natural farming with fixed MSPs.

But in the apple belts of Himachal, especially higher altitudes, this year’s bloom was shattered by sudden squalls and hailstorms.

“Our entire apple crop got wiped out before it could even set,” says Mohan Lal, an orchardist from Kotkhai. “The flowers were knocked off by hail and winds. We don’t even have enough fruit for household use, forget selling.”

Vegetable growers in lower belts are battling another enemy — drought. “No rain, no irrigation support, and the market is flooded with imports. We can’t survive like this,” says Kamla Devi, a farmer from Solan. “They talk of Rs 2000 crore. We haven’t seen even Rs 200.”

To make matters worse, not a single compensation has been paid for crop losses, no Kisan Credit Card (KCC) limits have been waived off, and most farmers say the crop insurance schemes are a scam.

“We pay the premium, the companies collect their share, and when disaster strikes, they vanish,” adds Ramesh Negi from Jubbal.

Government schemes like the ‘Him Parivar Register’ or fixed MSPs for turmeric and maize under natural farming sound good on paper, but farmers say there's zero implementation where it matters.

“Natural farming won’t help when nature itself is turning hostile. What we need is timely help, not just slogans,” says Tulsi Ram, a senior grower from Rohru.

As ministers and bureaucrats gather for meetings, the fields remain empty and farmers hopeless.

The contrast between grand announcements and ground reality has perhaps never been this stark.

“Try farming one season without support, then talk big in meetings,” says Nirmal Singh, a dairy farmer in Mandi. “We’re not asking for favours — just fairness.”