11 Hac of land to be used for transplanting paddy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 03 2019:
Agriculture Minister V Hangkhanlian has said that the Agriculture Department will utilise 11 hectares of land for transplanting paddy, taking the lack of rainfall into account, apart from assuring that there will be no shortage of fertilisers as well.
Speaking to media persons at his office at Secretariat South Block today evening, the Agriculture Minister said that the Department has made necessary arrangements to utilise 10 hectares of mechanised farm at ICAR and 1 hectare of land at KVK Thoubal for transplanting paddy saplings.
Explaining that the condition in the State does not fulfil the parameters for announcing drought yet, even though the condition seems so, the Minister said that the transplanting of paddy saplings will be able to cover a total 1100 hectares of farmland.
The Department is also planning to purchase 100 pump sets, he said, adding that the necessary amount will be given by the Planning Department.
Hangkhanlian further assured that the farmers need not worry about fertilisers as there are ample stocks of fertiliser in buffer stock.
There are a total of around 2.90 lakh urea fertiliser bags in the godowns at Imphal East, Imphal East, Bishnupur and Thoubal, he added.
The Minister continued that around 1000 fertiliser bags have been supplied to the MLAs and explained that farmers can acquire the fertilisers by producing their land pattas or their Aadhaar cards, which is a new initiative to ensure no loopholes are present during fertiliser distribution.
Another 58,000 fertiliser bags will also arrive shortly, he added.
It may be mentioned that a total of 1.95 lakh hectares of the State is farmland.
Around 82,000 hectares are occupied by jhum cultivation while 4500 hectares are covered by organic farming.
Replying to a query, Minister Hangkhanlian said that water is provided by MI, CADA and Water Resources but the Agriculture Department, in an attempt to ease the suffering of the farmers, is also making the arrangements to buy and supply the water pump sets.
On the other hand, Agriculture Department Commissioner M Joy said that the Department has contacted the National Seed Corporation to ensure supply of rice which takes a short time to mature and a definitive answer will be known within a short while.
Director of Agriculture Department Laltanpuii Vanchhong said that Manipur as well as the North Eastern region, received 81 percent less rainfall than normal as per the Indian Meteorological Department.