Irabot Foundation gives food sufficiency call
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 27 2013 : Along with announcing that a convention on saving agricultural land would be held on August 1 at MDU Hall, Yaiskul Police Lane, Irabot Foundation presi-dent Thounaojam Iboyaima emphasised on maximum usage of existing cultivation sites to produce more food grains in the State.

Speaking to newspersons at the Foundation's Singjamei office today, Iboyaima cautio-ned that rapid decline in agri- cultural land is a serious cause for concern as continuing to depend on food grains brought in from other States or imported from neighbouring countries would even- tually bankrupt Manipur's economy.

While pointing out that the Foundation has been undertaking a campaign this year on Lamyanba Irabot's 'Grow More Food' ideology in order ensure food-crop self sufficiency, he regretted that ins- pite of the ongoing campaign agricultural lands are being utilised for non-agricultural purposes.

Voicing strong opposition against prime cultivation sites converted into schools, oil pumps, brick fields, offices, etc., Iboyaima called upon every responsible citizens, particularly the farmers not to cede their agricul- ture lands for non-agricultural activities.

Highlighting that since launch of India's Green Revolution in the last 60s irrigation networks were improved to facilitate double cropping, he alleged that the Central Government is not serious enough to help Manipur and other North Eastern States achieve food-grain self-sufficiency.

Since launch of Green Revolution the food-grain productivity of India has increased from 7 percent to 22 percent in 1979 but in Mani-pur people continue to depend on import of food grains as the level of production has been declining contrary to increase in population, he maintained.

Compared to annual requirement for 6,37,666 metric tonnes of rice the total production is only 4,10,000 MT which means that the shortage is for 26,85,911 people out of the State's total population of 27,27,000, he explained.

Iboyaima also opined that improvement in irrigation system and practising multiple cropping unlike the present trend of paddy field laying barren during off-season would be helpful in increasing food grain productivity.

Taking into such huge shortfall in food grain productivity the Foundation would be organisation the convention to chalk out a viable strategy for food-grain self sufficiency.

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