Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Wednesday urged farmers in Manipur to take up integrated farming by taking support from the government and institutions like CAU and ICAR to double their income. She assured every possible support by the government to the farmers in the state.
“The Central and the state governments are ready to provide every possible cooperation and support to farmers in Manipur to make the state a self-sufficient state,” said the Union minister of state for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
The minister was addressing the inauguration of "Showcasing of Technology Products and Interface: Scientists Framers/FPOs/Agripreneurs" held at the Central Agricultural University (CAU), Iroisemba, Imphal West.
Pointing out that 70 per cent of the population of the country are farmers, she said, making a self-sufficient country in food products lies in the hands of the farmers.
She also highlighted that the country ranked in the 9th position this year in exporting horticulture and agricultural products. This year, India exported 305 million metric tonnes of food grains and 326 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables, she added.
(PHOTO: IFP)
Concerning Manipur, the minister said that a meeting was convened on Wednesday with the officials of the state Agriculture department and various initiatives were discussed to make the state self-sufficient within three years.
Karandlaje said that the Union Agriculture Ministry and the state government had decided to encourage bee keeping, cattle farming, poultry, fisheries and palm oil projects by providing maximum agricultural infrastructures and raw materials.
The minister also suggested the farmers of Manipur to take up integrated farming by taking support from the government and institutions like CAU, ICAR and others as it will help them in doubling the income.
She also apprised the farmers to avail the various schemes and programmes taken up by the government for the welfare of farmers. Whatever the scientist developed for the betterment of farming will be made available to the farmers, she assured.
In regards to a complained raised by a farmer regarding the crop destruction in large scale in various areas of the state due to certain factors, the minister instructed the officials of the Agriculture department to look into the matter and take up necessary measures.
Asserting that her present visit to the state is timebound, Karandlaje assured to visit the state again and interact with the farmers of Manipur.
During the programme, different farm inputs like, high quality seeds of rapeseed mustard, fodder seed of oats, chickpea, maize, lentil, pea, manual knapsack sprayer, bee box and chicks were distributed among the farmers to encourage them and to increase their yield by adopting new technologies, seeds and implements so that their income can be doubled.
Five different books prepared by the scientists of the CAU, Imphal were also released by the Union minister of state.
As another part of the programme, an interface between scientists of the university and farmers, FPOS, agripreneurs of the state was also organised to address the problems of the farmers on a face-to-face basis.
It was also attended by vice-chancellor of CAU Anupam Mishra, director of Instruction CAU S Basanta Singh, director of Extension CAU Ph Ranjit Sharma and College of Agriculture CAU dean Indira Sarangthem.
Later, Karandlaje also inaugurated the programme of "Farmers’ Field Day cum Input Distribution" at ICAR, RC, NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Lamphelpat, Imphal West.
The function was also attended by member of ICAR General Body Kh Nabakumar and commissioner of Agriculture M Joy Singh.
