Shimla, Dec 23 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Governor Urmila Singh Monday stressed the need to identify alternate crops which are not damaged by the monkeys and wild animals and are commercially viable.

Addressing the faculty of Palampur-based Chaudhry Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University here, the governor called for intensifying research in the agriculture sector in order to improve the variety of crops.

She said the role of scientists was more significant to achieve this objective and added that there was a need to reach out to the farmers and make them aware about the latest techniques.

Wildlife officials said various programmes launched by the government in the past, including their sterilisation, failed to tackle the increasing population of simians.

Thousands of farmers in Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una, Mandi and Kangra districts have incurred losses mainly due to the marauding monkeys.

The wildlife wing estimates that more than 900,000 farmers are affected by wild animals in the state. Monkeys, numbering over 300,000, mainly target cereal and fruit crops, causing extensive damage.