Maize flour ‘Himbhog’ produced via natural farming to be launched by Himachal Pradesh.

Tags: State News

Maize flour ‘Himbhog’ produced via natural farming to be launched by Himachal Pradesh.

Why in the news?

• Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu y said that the state government would soon introduce maize flour produced through natural farming under the brand name ‘Him Bhog.’

Key points:

• He said that more than 4,000 quintals of maize had been procured from 1,506 farmer families practising natural farming in the state, with the exception of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts. 
• The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh was the first state in India to offer the highest minimum support price (MSP) for wheat and maize.
• “The government is providing Rs 40 per kg for wheat and Rs 30 per kg for maize produced through natural farming. 
• The government is promoting natural farming on 35,000 hectares, benefiting 1.98 lakh farmers.
• Sukhu said that free certification had been provided to over 1.5 lakh farmers and an additional 36,000 farmers were being connected with natural farming. 
• He said that the government was also focusing on linking agriculture with employment through phase-III of the Rajiv Gandhi Start-Up Yojana that had been started with a budget of Rs 680 crore.

About Maize:

• Maize, also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. 
• It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. 
• Native Americans planted it alongside beans and squashes in the Three Sisters polyculture.