Come out with insightful policy for State farmers: UPF to Government
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 29 2020: United Peoples' Front (UPF), Manipur has urged the State Government to come out with an insightful and far-sighted policy for the welfare and sustenance of State farmers.

UPF in a press statement lauded the Government's plan to enforce lockdown to curb the transmission of COVID-19 but warned the latter that prolonged lockdown without a clear cut policy to ensure sufficient and efficient supply of essential commodities may have serious consequences.

Time to time distribution of rice, dal, edible oils and onions etc may not meet all the demands of the lockdown affected people and may lead to cases of lockdown violations and other crimes, said UPF.

Most of the items being distributed come from outside the State, UPF said while warning that the State people will see their worst in case inter-State exports stop and the lockdown continues unabated.

Thus, all should focus mainly on local agricultural produces, it added.

With the lockdown in place, many farmers are bearing the brunt as they are unable to sell their produces properly and had to incur losses as some items perish within a span of a few days, added UPF while stressing on the need to lay out a proper channel to procure and sell the produces to ensure sustenance of the farmers.

"We all will ultimately depend on the farmers if the COVID-19 crisis persists further," continued UPF while urging the State Government to lay out a long-lasting policy to encourage the farmers.

Government along with concerned departments should make sure that fertilisers, insecticides, weedicides and other items reach the farmers in time and sufficiently, added UPF highlighting the arrival of the monsoon.

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