Harvest decline dents Watermelon Festival
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 07, 2013: Contrary to high expectations for enhanced productivity the ongoing Watermelon Festival 2013 is witnessing sharp decline in the food item production with many of the participants blaming erratic rainfall for the poor harvest.

Speaking to the Sangai Express at the Palace Compound Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen venue of the festival, one Oinam Khunjabihari of Thoubal district conceded that he earned substantial income in the previous edition of the festival as he was able to put up more quantity of watermelons.

However, on his second participation in the festival this year the profit has been marginal consequent to below-par production due to unfavourable weather conditions, particularly due to scanty rainfall during the peak plantation season, said Khunjabihari.

Speculating that his toil in the fields is unlikely to be compensated from the sale proceeds at the festival, he informed that watermelons were planted in 13 paris with each pari necessitating investment of about Rs 30-35,000. Further stating that only about 60 % yield was possible this season compared to nearly 40 % of the plantation going waste due to rotting and stunted growth, the Thoubal district farmer noted that number of participants in the ongoing festival has declined sharply from the previous event with only 15 stalls displaying the juicy food crop.

Apart from fewer participants, the number of visitors and potential buyers has also gone down significantly with the average sale hovering in the Rs 4-5000 mark compared to last year when a stall runner used to sell about Rs 8000 worth of watermelons per day.

Khunjabihari suggested that the Govt chalk up a specific policy to help watermelon farmers when in distress along with effective measures to save plantation areas from submergence or water scarcity as well as provide insecticides for watermelon is highly prone to plant diseases.

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