MMTU calls for extensive cultivation of winter crops
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 07 2024: Pointing out that the State's economy has been adversely affected by the protracted war-like situation while vast paddy fields have been left uncultivated or unutilised after the paddy season is over, the Meetei (Meitei) Tribe Union (MMTU) has called upon the Government and the people to launch a mega initiative of cultivating winter crops extensively.

The MMTU has also appealed to the departments related to horticulture and agriculture to take pivotal roles in launching such an initiative.

A statement issued by MMTU further called upon all elected representatives starting from Panchayat level to MLAs and Ministers to take pro-active roles in implementing such a grand initiative of extensive cultivation of winter crops so as to make Manipur self-reliant in terms of food production.

After Kukis started a sustained aggression against Meitei people, around 9740 hectares of agricultural land could not be cultivated last year and it led to an economic loss of around Rs 7000 crore, it said.

The situation did not change at all in 2024.Even though paddy was cultivated in some of the paddy fields located in areas designated as buffer zones with security forces guarding the fields, farmers could not attend to their crops fully.

As such, the yield was much lesser than the normal, the MMTU said.

On the other hand, bandhs and blockades are imposed every now and then on National Highways thereby leading to acute shortage of essential commodities and sharp escalation of prices, it said.

It then asked as to why the Government has not yet taken up a single initiative to cultivate winter crops extensively MMTU calls for extensive cultivation of winter crops in the vast paddy fields which are left vacant after harvesting paddy.

However, before launching any initiative to cultivate winter crops extensively, the community needs to review and alter the tradition of letting cattle lose once paddies are harvested.

This tradition has been already done away with at Taret Khul of Lamlai AC and many villages of Kumbi AC since last year, it said.

With the MLA of Kumbi AC providing tractors and winter crop seeds, cultivation of winter crops in different villages of Kumbi AC is making rapid progress, it remarked.

The MMTU then appealed to all MLAs and other elected representatives to launch similar initiatives in their respective Assembly segments.

"We cannot stop working even if a war is going on.

During the Vietnam War, Vietnamese soldiers worked in the fields and cultivated paddy with AK 47 rifles slung over their shoulders", it continued.

It then appealed to all farmers' organisations, CSOs, local clubs and all sections of society to join hands and work collectively towards creating a laborious society which is self-reliant in terms of food production.

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