Himalaya shares a special bond with the farmers who cultivate the herbs used in our products.

THimalaya shares a special bond with the farmers who cultivate the herbs used in our products. The “Kisaan Mitra” or “Farmer’s Friend” initiative celebrates this deep connection with small and marginalized farmers across India by focusing on their economic empowerment.

We engage with over 1,100 farmers to grow medicinal plants on small tracts of land. We train them in organic farming techniques and promote the use of organic fertilizers like vermicompost, green manure, and Neem cake. We also maintain good soil health by increasing the soil’s organic content by cultivating green manure crops during the off-season, which increases the organic content of the soil and essential nutrients like nitrogen. These practices improve the soil’s water-holding capacity and enhance soil health, which helps restore the Earth’s natural nutrients. We utilize soil solarization, the natural practice of exposing the soil to the sun to help control soil-borne pathogens and pests. This protects the newly sown seeds from insects and soil-borne diseases and also promotes efficient and effective germination, which helps plants grow faster, ensuring higher yields for our farmers.

Himalaya provides the farmers with expert guidance by selecting crops and varieties to ensure a higher economic yield. We encourage the adoption of Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP) by contingent crop planning through the planting of alternate crops.

Himalaya also supports the post-harvest management of herbs, including cleaning, processing, and packing. We purchase these herbs directly from the farmers at a predetermined price based on mutual agreement. Hence, farmers are aware of the price they will get and avoid mark-ups by middlemen and market fluctuations.

Farmers in the Dharwad district of Karnataka cultivate Alfalfa on 100 acres yearly with 40 farmers. Cultivating Alfalfa is a financially rewarding and stable option compared to cultivating regular crops subject to market fluctuations. The entire village has unwavering faith in our cultivation program. Because of the cultivation program initiative, the farmers of Saswihalli village in Dharwad are happy to cultivate the herbs for Himalaya.

Committed to making contract farming accessible and profitable to farmers, we have significantly increased the quantity of herbs Himalaya procures through this initiative. Our team tests the soil and water and closely monitors the entire program. The seeds provided to farmers are given free of cost. NAAM Foundation helps and supports Himalaya in mobilizing and educating the farming community to choose herb cultivation for herbs such as Tulasi.

In the span of one year, on one acre of land, the contracted farmers earned a sustainable income compared to the income generated from previous crop cultivation. This has inspired other farmers to take up herb cultivation. The contract farming program is of mutual benefit to all the stakeholders, providing a consistent and assured income opportunity for farmers and regular cultivation of herbs grown exclusively for Himalaya.