Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, announced that his government will guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for naturally grown kidney beans (rajmah) from the remote high-altitude region of Bada Bhangal in Kangra district, and will also procure meat from local sheep herders at fair prices.

Context

Posting on X, CM Sukhu acknowledged the resilience of Bada Bhangal's communities, writing that the people of the region have preserved their hardwork, traditions, and rich heritage of natural farming across generations despite difficult geographical conditions. He pledged that every hardworking family in Bada Bhangal will receive fair value for their labour, and that livelihoods will be further strengthened through this initiative.

Bada Bhangal is one of Himachal Pradesh's most isolated pockets, accessible only through high mountain passes for much of the year. Its farming and herding communities have historically struggled to access mainstream agricultural markets, leaving them dependent on middlemen who offer well below market rates for their produce.

Policy Backdrop

The announcement builds on Himachal Pradesh's Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana, launched in 2018, which has promoted chemical-free natural farming across the state. In 2023-24, the state expanded procurement support for niche hill crops — including rajmah and millets — under the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural Produce Marketing Act, laying the legislative groundwork for targeted interventions in remote blocks.

The extension of MSP to naturally grown rajmah from Bada Bhangal represents a convergence of two policy threads: assured procurement for traditional crops and support for livestock-based livelihoods. The state government has positioned both as pillars of a climate-resilient agriculture strategy since 2022.

Stakeholders and Impact

Rajmah growers and sheep herders are the primary beneficiaries of this announcement. Bada Bhangal's mixed farming-herding economy means many households depend simultaneously on crop sales and livestock income, making dual-commodity support particularly significant for family earnings.

Across the broader Himalayan belt, several states have introduced targeted MSP or assured procurement for traditional crops and livestock products to bridge market access gaps in remote areas. Such interventions have also served as a tool to slow outmigration from high-altitude villages and preserve agro-biodiversity that would otherwise be lost as younger generations seek urban livelihoods.

What's Next

The key step will be the issuance of formal government orders specifying the MSP rate for Bada Bhangal rajmah, the designated procurement agencies, and the location of collection centres accessible to farmers in the region. Observers will also watch whether additional remote blocks in Kangra or other districts are brought under the same procurement umbrella.

If implemented with robust logistics, the scheme could serve as a replicable model for other geographically isolated communities in Himachal Pradesh — where natural farming heritage and biodiversity-rich produce remain largely untapped by formal market channels.