Farming has never been a stagnant phenomena, it changes with weather, geography, atmosphere and climate conditions.  Monetary return matters a lot when it comes to chose the type of farming.

More and more farmers in the state are switching over to off season vegetable farming, as it yields good returns and involves low cost of production.  Introduced about one and a half decade ago, this farming sector has grown to the tune of 600 crores rupees.

Himachal Pradesh, like any other hilly region, has less per capita holding and even lesser arable land.  The old cultivation methods had long become economically non-viable, forcing the state government to make efforts in diversifying agriculture.

Thus the enterprising farmers switched over to off seasonal vegetable farming from the traditional crops.  The efforts bore results and now more and more farmers are opting for it.

Offseason vegetable farming involves low cost of production with high returns.  A number of vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum and peas are grown extensively in a number of districts of the hilly state.  It has opened up a whole lot of new opportunities for farmers with small land holdings.  A single land holding can be utilized for cultivating about 2 to 3 different vegetables.

"It is more beneficial.  We get a good market.  We get about 15 to 20 percent more profit than the traditional farming.  And the cultivation method is also very easy.  We get the crop easily," said Pawan, a farmer.

"We are growing cauliflower and cabbage nowadays.  We are also sowing potatoes.  We haven't paid attention to fruit cultivation so far but we have been doing vegetable farming since long.  Cauliflower, cabbage and potatoes - these are the vegetable crops which we grow extensively," said Brijender Singh.

According to Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Raj Krishan Gaur, the state government has made every effort to ensure that more and more farmers take up this alternate form of farming.

"In order to increase the production, we are guiding the farmers to take up the vegetable crops best suited to the soil type in their respective regions.  We are also providing them with best quality seeds.  In order to guide them and train them, we conduct seminars and camps at regular intervals.  We also take them to other states so that are able to grasp more and more knowledge about various methods of farming," said Gaur.

According to Gaur, though the off season farming is popular in the entire state, four districts of Shimla, Solan, Kullu and Mandi have been doing very well in this regard.  In all, about 47,000 hectares of land in Himachal Pradesh is under off season vegetable cultivation.

The diversification of farming pattern is the answer for the negative constraints attached to the regional geography and it gives good monetary return also.  (ANI)