Chief Minister N.Biren Singh along with his cabinet colleagues and MLAs distributed winter seeds to 5,940 farmers under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) in a function held at Farmers' Training Hall, Horticulture Farm at Khonghampat in Imphal West District Tuesday.
The seeds were distributed under the area expansion programme of vegetables of MIDH 2020-21 to meet the emergent requirement of the prevailing situation due to COVID-19. The state Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department has selected 5,940 farmers to cover 2970 hectares for this purpose.
Speaking at the occasion as the chief guest, Biren said that the state government has been concentrating on horticulture and agriculture sectors to become self-reliant in food production. Stating that different committees have been formed to enhance production so that import of at least some food items from other States can be stopped, the chief minister expressed hope that this mission would definitely be successful in the near future.
The chief minister said that export of horticulture items like ginger, pineapple and orange had considerably increased in the past two-three years. All these were possible due to the hard work of farmers. As such, the Government would always extend all possible support to farmers, the chief minister assured. In this regard, he also expressed the need for personal interaction by the Ministers with the people and farmers at the grassroots level.
The chief minister also said that cold storages are being constructed in Imphal East, Imphal West and Churachandpur districts. He also stated that the cold storage facility at Food Park, Nilakuthi would also be upgraded further. N. Biren Singh also announced that Khonghampat lake would be developed to attract tourists.
Public Health Engineering minister L. Dikho, Forest and Environment minister Awangbou Newmai, Education minister Sorokhaibam Rajen, Agriculture minister O. Lukhoi, CAF and PD minister Th. Satyabrata, Social Welfare minister O. Henry, State Planning Board deputy chairman L. Rameshwor, Manipur Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board chairperson Heikham Dingo, Kshetrigao AC MLA N. Indrajit, Zilla Parishad Member L. Boby, principal secretary (Horticulture and Soil Conservation) P. Vaiphei and Commissioner (IPR) M. Joy were seated on the dais as dignitaries.
