Dy CM pitches for organic farming
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, October 10 2017: Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar today inaugurated a two-day National symposium on "Emerging and Re-Emerging Plant Diseases in North East India: Challenges and Strategies" at Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Imphal .

Speaking at the inaugural session, Deputy Chief Minister said that proper interface between farmers and scientists would be more helpful in controlling pests and other plant diseases hampering productivity in North Eastern region .

He said, most of the States in the region are predominantly dependent on agriculture and allied activities as a means of livelihood and therefore issues pertaining to these activities should be addressed properly.

Planting crops in right time would be the best way to control most of the diseases as there would be a little chance to pests and disease causing agents to affect the crops .

Asserting that many farmers in the State have been looking for high yielding variety crops thereby ignoring the indigenous varieties which have been growing in the State over the years, Joykumar observed that scientists and all concerned need to focus on producing more hybrids of indigenous varieties that are high yielding .

Dy CM pitches for organic farming

He further said that the use of chemicals has also deteriorated the soil and asked the farmers to use manure and other harmless means.

Pointing out that the use of chemical to enhance agricultural products has caused serious health related issues to human beings, Joykumar urged the farmers of the State to go for natural and organic methods in preserving the soil .

Vice Chancellor of Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal, Professor M Premjit Singh while speaking on the occasion strongly advocated the need to introduce crop rotation in large scale to control pests and other plant diseases in North Eastern Region.

He said, minor plant diseases have become serious due to climate change.

ICAR have been doing tremendous work in rice research and cultivation of HYVs.

He urged the Scientists to initiate research to control disappearance of local varieties in the region .

Stating that many superstitious beliefs related with plant diseases are still prevalent among farmers in the State although many products from the State like pineapple are qualitative and highly demanding in other States, he said such beliefs need to be removed from their mindsets and stressed the need to inculcate scientific temperament .

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister distributed certificates to the trainees who have participated in the one month training on Gardeners Training Programme conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Churachandpur from September 11 to October 10 this year .

Agricultural inputs were also distributed to farmers in the inaugural session.

Dr N Prakash, Joint Director, ICAR, scientists, researchers and students including from outside NE Region have took part in the deliberation jointly organised by Indian Phytopathological Society (NEZ) and ICAR, Research Comlex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Imphal.