Union Minister of Education and External Affairs, RK Ranjan Singh, has called for planting of more Yongchak (Tree Bean) trees as it is traditionally been associated and a very important cash crop of Manipur. He said Yongchak should be planted along with other crops as the plant can absorb atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into fertiliser that can be available to other crops.
RK Ranjan made the statement during the one-day awareness on plantation & distribution of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants with special reference to Tree Bean (Yongchak) which was organised by the CSIR-NEIST Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat in collaboration with Manipur Protection & Promotion Committee of Tree Bean and Apunba Imagi Machasing (AIMS) under the CSIR Aroma Mission Project on July 6, 2022 at the CSIR-NEIST branch laboratory, Lamphelpat.
RK Ranjan emphasized the need for land reformation and not land law.
MP (Outer) Lorho S Pfoze said that the connection between valley and hill should be very strong. Various departments should guide the hill people and poppy plantations should be replaced with other crops and fruit bearing plants, the MP said.
Former VC of MU, Amar Yumnam, who presided the function, called for focussing on large scale plantation of Yongchak tree in Manipur as a huge quantity of Yongchak are being imported from Myanmar and Nagaland every year, leading to draining of economy.
H Birkumar Singh, Senior Principal Scientist of CSIR-NEIST Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat elaborated about the CSIR-Aroma Mission project under which various aromatic plants are being cultivated and distillation units have been installed across the northeast.
The programme was attended by A Guneshwor Sharma, director, AYUSH; S Manikanta, retired additional director of Health Services, Manipur; I Meghachandra Singh, Joint Director, ICAR, Manipur Centre; Prof Mohilal Meitei, Head, Life Sciences, Manipur University.
Slips of high yielding varieties of Lemongrass and Citronella and saplings of Yongchak were distributed to some farmers of Manipur.
Yongchak and other medicinal and aromatic plants were planted inside the campus of the CSIRNEIST Branch Laboratory by RK Ranjan Singh & Lorho S Pfoze in the presence of various officials and entrepreneurs.
Also Read: Yongchak declining in Manipur
