Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday flagged off vehicles carrying quality planting materials, seeds and sprinklers sets which are to be distributed to registered farmers from Horticulture and Soil Conservation department, government of Manipur.
The planting materials and seeds will go directly to 50 farmer producer companies while those carrying sprinkler sets will go through the district offices to be distributed as part of the component of the Micro Irrigation Scheme which is an end to end solution at their level.
The planting materials and seeds are distributed under Phase-III Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER), Manipur while sprinklers sets are being distributed under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY, Horticulture), Manipur.
Speaking at the gathering, chief minister N Biren Singh said that timely arrangement and distribution of materials required for farming and agriculture are also very much necessary while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure adequate food production in the coming year.
He also expressed happiness on learning that a 268 hectares of land where poppy plantation was widely done earlier will be replaced by other suitable plants for which seeds were distributed today and termed it as a big achievement of the state Government’s War on Drugs Campaign.
He also informed that a mass plantation programme would be held at Churachandpur district on June 30 in coordination with various civil voluntary organisations of the district.
Certain areas where poppy plantation was carried out earlier are now cleared by District Administration and volunteers for alternative plantation. He also appreciated the civil bodies and public for supporting the government effort to root out poppy plantations.
He further appreciated the Horticulture department for putting in their effort in providing alternative plants to the locals and helped bring a change in the mindset of the poppy planters.
The government will also continue to provide incentives to those who come out against the poppy plantation. He also sought support of the public in the government’s initiative to provide and plant fruit bearing trees suitable to the region in place of poppy plantation which is harmful to the society.
The chief minister asked the officials concerned to do field visits in continuation of the Go to Village and Go to Hills missions of the Government and regularly update the work carried out by them.
The programme which was organised by department of Horticulture and Soil Conservation was also attended by Agriculture minister Oinam Lukhoi, additional chief secretary (Horticulture and Soil Conservation) P Vaiphei, commissioner (Agriculture) M Joy and project director, MOMA K Devdutta Sharma.
