Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to establish a policy of agricultural land leasing. Rather than giving land on a 30-year lease, the concerned farmer will receive the land’s rent. This measure has reduced the barriers to leasing land for farming, agriculture, horticulture, herbs, off-season vegetables, milk production, tea plantation, fruit hybridization, and solar energy in the state’s hilly parts.
Uttarakhand’s state government recently announced that it has implemented a programme to lease agricultural land, making it the first Indian state to do so. According to the policy, any institution, enterprise, or non-governmental organisation (NGO) can lease farmland for 30 years, providing the leased area is no more than 30 acres. During the leased period, the farmers who own the land will receive the corresponding rent. Difficulties previously encountered in leasing land in hilly regions for agricultural, farming, tea plantation, milk production, horticulture, herbs, fruit hybridization, and solar energy production are expected to be eliminated by the policy, as the state government aims for consolidation of fragmented land to be solved by the policy. There is a provision for taking extra land on lease under certain conditions. If there is government land nearby the land to be leased, it must be leased by paying the fee after getting authorization from the District Magistrate.
