Shimla, July 26 -- Union Home minister Amit Shah has appreciated Himachal's initiatives to promote natural farming during the 'Manthan Baithak' on co-operatives held recently in New Delhi. "Himachal mein natural farming mein bahut achay experiments hue hain", stated Amit Shah during the 'Manthan Baithak' which was attended by co-operative ministers from all the states. A statement of state government on Friday said that Shah showered praises on the state and the initiatives of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for taking a lead in promoting natural farming in a big way which has set an example for the rest of the country. Sukhu said an ascending trend has been observed in the state where farmers and horticulturists have been increasingly drawn towards natural farming. Over 2,23,000 farmers and horticulturists have adopted chemical-free farming either partially or fully in almost all the panchayats of the state. He stated that with this decision, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to promote natural farming by providing MSP for various crops grown through this method. htc...