Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 07 2008:
Contrary to the apprehension feel by the farmers at the time of introduction, IR-64 rice variety which the state agriculture department under a scheme of the North Eastern Council turn out to be suited to the soil of the state with a production of 33 bags (50 kg per bag) per acre on the average.
To recall here, state agriculture department under a scheme sponsored by the NEC distributed the new rice variety (IR-64) farmers of the Bishnupur district including to the farmers of the model seed villages who followed the Integrated Pest Management, IPM method of farming this year.
At time of introduction to the farmers, experts of the IMP could say nothing about the rice which feels the farmers apprehension if it did not suited to the soil of their fields and fail it.
But farmers believing to the officials of the agriculture office (Chemistry) grow the rice in their fields.
The department also supply all the require fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides to the farmers free of cost under the scheme and IMP team guided the farmers from time to time in the application of the said items to the fields.
The rice variety was grown 600 hectares extending across the Bishnupur district.
The harvesting of the rice had started in the last few days and IMP team has been observing the harvesting to know the actual potential of this new variety of rice and it yields.
With the enhance production in their fields, farmers have now feel happy with the new rice variety and congratulated the staffs of the AO (Chemistry) led deputy director, Ph Rajendro who is also the charge of the office.
Ph Rajendro Singh, who took a great imitative in the introduction of the rice to the farmers said that as they came to know that the rice variety is suited to the soil of the state, not only in Bishnupur district, his department will start campaign for extension of cultivation of the same variety to other fields across the state.
He also said that the department will take up steps to buy the surplus rice produced by the farmers in Bishnupur district as certified seed for onward distribution to the farmers of the other districts in the next season.
The same variety of rice grow at the model seed village having area of 35 hectare at Ethai village was harvested today in presence of the staffs of the AO (Chemistry) and deputy director himself.
In that, it was found producing 33 bag (1980 kgs of rice per acre which is 7920 kg per hectares.
Secretary, Gyaneshwar of the Plain and Hill Organisation who took main role in growing the rice variety in the fields of Ehai area said that in the previous years when other rice variety could only produced around 24 bags of rice per acre.
"We feel satisfied with the IR-64 variety and now farmers of field extending to around 80 hectares have decided to grow this rice," Gyneshawar said.