Sans irrigation network toxic food crops imminent
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: December 07, 2022 -

IN a state like ours where the tillable land, especially in the plains, have shrunk significantly compared to few decades back, there is no doubt that achieving the self-sustainable goal in food production will depend on whether or not the existing agricultural land could be preserved.

While establishment of numerous private educational institutions in paddy land is the primary factor for the state losing vast tract of prime agricultural land in the 1980s and 1990s, setting up of fuel retail outlets, warehouses of LPC dealers, showrooms of motor companies, motor workshops, governmental institutions, expansion of national highways and construction of private houses to name a few in the suburban areas are some recent causes for the rapid shrinking of paddy fields.

As it is unthinkable that the lost cultivable land could be restored or newly expanded in view of growth in human population naturally necessitating construction of more structures for settlement and accommodate other human activities, Monday's observance of the World Soil Day should inspire the government authorities to not only put into effective practice policies framed or suggested by subject experts to prevent loss of soil fertility but also ensure that the existing farmlands are well connected to irrigation network.

In case the food producers are bereft of irrigation water as and when necessary, then it is obvious that the farmers would have to rely on application of fertilisers, including toxic ones, for compatible harvest, which in turn will reduce soil day observance to mere formality not to speak about wastage of time and resources.

Nevertheless, it would be presumptuous that the government has been naive on the gravity of the situation arising out of perennial usage of chemical fertilisers as promotion of organic and natural farming suggests that the policy makers are also worried of the imminent threat posed to the state's agriculture sector.

While it would be near impossible to convince majority of the farmers to go for organic farming if they are deprived of the vital irrigation network, it's a pity that viable irrigation facility cannot be ensured in the state where official record estimates that only 12.98 per cent of the total land area is being utilised for agricultural purposes.

Having acknowledged importance of soil management in agriculture during his speech at the World Soil Day observance organised by the Directorate of Agriculture on Monday apart from conveying that steps have been taken up to establish soil testing laboratory in every district of the state, it is desired that agriculture minister Th Biswajit should make a holistic review of why Manipur hasn't been able to make a mark in the agriculture sector in-spite of the state's climatic condition considered favourable for plantation of multiple varieties of both food and cash crops and presence of numerous water bodies including lakes and rivers.

As the minister in-charge of agriculture, among other portfolios, minister Biswajit should shoulder the responsibility of working towards effectively addressing the dual issues of loss of soil fertility and lack of irrigation facilities so as to ensure that the state reduces dependence on others for food and its citizens consume non-toxic food crops grown in their own land.