Watermelon festival
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 30 2014 : The 3rd State Level Watermelon fes-tival organised by Nahakpam Foundation for Development will be held from June 12 till 17 at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen with various promo-tional events set to precede the festival.

Aimed at promoting watermelon farming in the State and reach maximum household or individual consumers, the Festival will witness watermelons grown in about 250 acres in the four valley districts put up display.

To promote the annual event, Foundation volunteers would be distributing watermelon slices to the public at various locations, Foundation secretary Shanta Singh Nahakpam told media persons at its North AOC office adding that other promotional events will include painting competition in two categories for class III to VIII students on the theme 'Our Farmer and Farms', fashion parade, musical night and cultural shows.

Stating that since 2012 the Foundation had been endeavouring to make the festival an annual event with the dual objective of making the general public aware that watermelons are grown on a large scale in Manipur as well as to enable the local farmers live a decent life, the secretary said.

Accepting that watermelons imported from Myanmar are very cheap with wholesale rate for five kilograms priced at Rs 40 compared to a kilogram of locally produced watermelons commanding Rs 20 in the market, Shanta nevertheless said that the general public should be able to comprehend that until and unless chemical fertilizer component in watermelon farming is very high neither will the plant size be large nor will massive production be possible.

Comparing taste of the fruit plant between the imported ones and the local products even a commoner will understand that State farmers do not use chemical fertilizers, he said also adding that local farmers depend on nature and natural ingredients.

Informing that there needs to be precision in watering the plants, Shanta also conveyed that inspite of watermelon farming being a challenging task one can reap rich benefit if no natural or unnatural event affect a plantation season.

For instance investment of about Rs 30,000 in an acre size farmland the output will be about Rs 1 lakh, Shanta said.

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