The Department of Agriculture was established in the year 1948.In 1950, it was merged
with Forest Department.The Department started functioning independently in the year
1952. In 1970, Horticulture was carved out of the Department of Agriculture and
separate Department of Horticulture was established. The agriculture research was
also taken out from Agriculture Department and was assigned to Agriculture Complex
now Agriculture University, Palampur. The Department of Agriculture is therefore
now concentrating on agriculture production and soil water conservation.
Himachal Pradesh is predominately an agricultural State where Agriculture provides
direct employment to about 71 percent of the total population. The Agriculture sector
contributes nearly 30 percent of the total state domestic product. The Department
of Agriculture is dedicated to serve the farming community by implementing various
Developmental Programmes and disseminating the relevant technology to increase productivity,
production and profitability of field crops. The natural endowments like soil, land,
water etc. are being harnessed in such a way that cherished goals of ecological
sustainability, economic upliftment of farming community are achieved. About 18-20%
area is irrigated and rest is rain fed.