Annual paddy production falls short by 30 pc
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 05 2013: Even though the State's paddy production fell 30 per cent short of the annual requirement, the Agriculture Department could do very little to make up the deficit.

According to a source in Agriculture Department, an individual's annual requirement of rice is 210 Kgs.

As per the 2011 census report, Manipur's total population is 27,21,756.The total requirement of rice for State's population is 57168.76 metric tonnes if a single person's annual consumption of rice is 210 Kgs.

This annual requirement is bound to rise with the increase in population.

On the other hand, the total arable land of Manipur is 1.10 lakh hectares and large portions of these arable is found in the valley.

The average paddy yield in the hills is 700 to 800 Kgs per hectare.

In the valley, the average yield is 1800 to 2000 Kgs per hectare.

A comparative study of the annual production of paddy and the annual consumption revealed that there is a need to raise paddy production by 30 per cent.

Total rice production of Manipur during 2012-13 was estimated to be 257580 MT.

A barren paddy field and a sit-in to demand protection of agricultural land

The deficit in the State's rice production is being made by rice provided by the Government under different schemes like APL, BPL, AAY, Additional APL, Additional BPL, Ad-hoc Additional BPL and Ad-hoc AAY.

However, Agriculture Department has initiated no worthwhile measures to enhance paddy productivity and make up the deficit.

In addition to the existing agricultural lands, there are many more areas in the hills where the agricultural lands can be expanded.

By expanding the existing agricultural lands and providing high yielding varieties, the State's paddy productivity can be increased.

As of now, the department seems to be concentrating maximum of its activities in the valley.

High yielding and disease resistant varieties produced by CAU, ICAR and Agriculture Department are being made available in the valley.

Nevertheless, Agriculture Department in its efforts to secure investment from the Government of India mentioned about expansion of agricultural land in the hill districts.

The department, in the process of seeking fund from the Government of India clearly gave definite data about possible expansion of agricultural land in hill areas.

However, once the fund was received, the question of expanding agricultural land was swept under the carpet.

Again, the State paddy productivity per hectare fetches little or no profit when compared to the investment.

One primary reason is the manifold hike in labour charge.

To make up the deficit in the State's annual paddy production, it is crucial to expand agricultural land in hill areas, provide high yielding seeds to all farmers and introduce mechanised farming all over the State, added the source.