Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, September 15:
The State is likely to face shortage of foodgrain in the cur- rent and the next financial year, with the State not being able to meet the food-grain requirement of its teeming population during the last few years.
On the other hand, out of the total 1.57 lakh hectare of cultivable land available in the State only 0.54 lakh hectare are said to be accessible to irrigational facilities.
According to information gathered by The Sangai Express, the total agricultural output in Manipur not been able to meet its own requirement year after year.
If this trend continue, the State is likely to face shortage of foodgrain like rice and cereal to the tune of 30 to 40 percent of the total output in the current as well as next financial year.
During the last three years, the shortage of food-grain in the State was pegged at 12.57 to 29.3 percent and the required quantity of foodgrain had been procured from Food Corporation of India and other States.
During 2000-01, the total food grain produce of the State was 395.75 metric tonne while the actual requirement was 452.66 metric tonne.
Thereby compelling the State to procure 56.91 metric tonne of foodgrain to feed its ever increasing teeming population.
Foodgrain production decreased further during 2002-03 and the State faced shortage of 143.93 metric tonne foodgrain.
During the period, State could produce only 347.07 matric tonne of foodgrain as against its actual requirement of 491 matric tonne.
Despite this pressing need to increase foodgrain production, around 1.03 lakh hectares of land out of the total 1.57 lakhs hectares of cultivable land available in the State are yet to get necessary irrigational facilities.
So far only 0.54 lakh hectares of land have been covered with adequate irrigational facilities.
Besides the lack of proper and adequate irrigational facilities, failure of monsoon or irregularity in seasonal rainfall is said to another factor for low foodgrain production in the State over the years, despite fertility of soil.