Ex-Lok Sabha MP exhorts youth to take up farming
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 15: Expressing concern over lack of initiatives on the part of the State Government to encourage youth to take up farming, former Union Minister Th Chaoba has exhorted the Manipuri youth to take up farming as a career instead of trying to spend lakhs of rupees to get recruited in the security forces.

Participating in the concluding function of the fiveday long training programme on rearing of Pengba organised jointly by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Utlou, Bishnupur District and National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad at the training of the Kendra today, Chaoba lamented that the Government of Manipur has not been paying attention to the farmers and piscicul-turists of Manipur.

Ex-Union Minister Th Chaoba presiding concluding function of the programme on rearing Pengba

Instead of spending lakhs of rupees in trying to get recruitment in the security forces or in getting Government jobs, youth can take up farming or becoming aquaculturist to help in increasing the required food production.

Rearing of Pengba, one of the indigenous fish variety of Manipur can be promoted in this way, he noted.

Rearing of indigenous fish varieties like Pengba and Ngakra which are almost on the verge of extinction would be profitable as these fishes have great demand, he added.

Soibam Surchandra and Tongbram Robindro who have made names for themselves in the field of rearing and production of Pengba were also present at the occasion as guests of honour.

The five-day long training programme had been participated successfully by 25 persons coming from different parts of Bishnupur district.

Along with distribution of certificates, each of the participants have been presented 50 fingerlings of Pengba during the function.

One of the trainee, who has passed class XII, said that while they were young, they used to see and eat lots of Pengba.

But now it is so rare and is hard to get in the market.

So he decided to take up Pengba rearing and thus participated in the training programme.

With the knowledge gained from the training programme, the trainee expressed confidence that he would be able to take up Pengba rearing successfully for livelihood and earn a decent income.