KVK Tabo Concludes Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan with Focused Dialogue on Marketing Solutions for Spiti Farmers

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Tabo in Lahaul and Spiti successfully concluded a fortnight-long outreach programme under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India. The concluding event was held at Kaza in collaboration with Spiti Farms Producer Company and witnessed active participation from farmers and members of the local Farmer Producer Organization (FPO).

Scientists from KVK Tabo, along with officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, and ATMA, engaged with farmers to discuss key challenges in agriculture—particularly those related to marketing—and shared potential solutions. Sonam Targey, a member of the Tribes Advisory Council, was the Chief Guest. He encouraged farmers to make use of government schemes and to benefit from the scientific knowledge provided by KVK experts.

The discussion focused on the issue of high marketing costs and the need to find sustainable solutions for crop marketing, which is essential for climate-resilient farming in the fragile cold desert ecosystem of Spiti. Dr R.S. Spehia, Senior Scientist and Head of KVK Tabo, urged farmers to blend local traditional knowledge with global farmer innovations to boost production while preserving unique regional practices. He also proposed the idea of creating a ‘Spiti Brand’ to promote the region's naturally farmed products as exclusive offerings for health-conscious consumers.

Dr Bandana Dhiman and Dr Ankita Dhiman spoke about the value of local forestry and horticultural crops and recommended introducing new crop varieties to meet global market demand. Sujata from ATMA and FPO representatives supported the proposal and encouraged farmers to register on the CETARA portal of the Himachal Pradesh government to streamline crop marketing.

Officials from the Animal Husbandry Department discussed the benefits of yak and local cow rearing, both as a source of income through yak-based products and as a potential attraction for eco-tourism. Farmers were also informed about various government schemes including PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), the Soil Health Card Scheme, and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.

A notable highlight of the event was the participation of representatives from Big Basket. The interaction helped bridge the gap between farmers and market players, and it was seen as a positive step towards creating sustainable market linkages in remote regions like Spiti.