Kumbi farmers not to accept fertilizers
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 08 2021: Continuing the hunger strike protest launched jointly by Kumbi Urban Development Committee (KUDC), Kumbi Apunba Loumee Sinmee Apunba Lup (KALSAL) and Bharatiya Kishan Sangh (BKS) demanding adequate quantity of subsidized fertilizer to the farmers, Kumbi farmers have resolved not to take fertilizers if the government fails to provide adequate fertilizers.

On the second day of the protest on Sunday, many farmers including women took part in the hunger relay strike which is being staged at Kumbi Awang Khunou Mandop.

After the Bishnupur district deputy commissioner on Saturday issued a notice informing that subsidized fertilizer would be distributed to farmers of Kumbi area on Monday, the farmers went to meet official concerned.

The official said that a bag of urea for a farmer cultivating one pari will be provided to those who have submitted patta and related documents to district agriculture officer.

The reply of the official angered the farmers even more.

Speaking to media persons, a protester informed that the famers returned to the protest site and resolved not to take the fertilizers from the government as three urea bags are required by a farmer having a pari of farmlands and as Kumbi being an agricultural area, most of the farmers have more than one pari of agricultural land.

Such way of availing the subsidized fertilizers is a sign of disrespect to the farmers.

There is no need to take the fertilizers which will not be adequate for application in their farm, the protester reasoned.

Informing that there are 21,000 pari of farmland in Kumbi A/C and the farmers need at least 63,000 bags of urea, the protester continued that only 10,000 bags were distributed to farmers at Bishnupur district agriculture office from February to July.

The failure of the department and the DC to provide the remaining bags is unfortunate, the protester denounced and urged the government to provide adequate fertilizers to the farmers according to the size of the farmlands at the earliest and to make the fertilizers available at their doorstep.

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