Collective efforts needed to raise farmers income: Shyamkumar
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR

Imphal, February 23 2019: Horticulture and Soil Conservation Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar today said that farmers across the State are rendered with timely and appropriate benefits under various schemes of the department.

He opined that the collective effort of the stakeholders (the Government and the farmers) will help in raising the income of the farmers and boost the economy of the State.

He was speaking at a tractors and power tillers distribution function to selected beneficiaries at the office complex of Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department, Sanjenthong.

Altogether 22 selected farmers from Imphal East, Imphal West, Kangpokpi, Churachandpur and Senapati districts were presented with nine tractors and 13 power tillers at subsidised rates as part of the first phase of farm mechanisation of the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme (2018-19) under the aegis of the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department.

A subsidy of Rs 1 lakh each on tractors and Rs 75,000 each on power tillers have been given to the selected beneficiaries for buying the machineries by the department.

An assistance of Rs 57.50 lakh has been provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India for procuring 50 power tillers and 20 tractors which will be distributed to the selected beneficiaries in phase wise.

Minister Th Shyamkumar expressed hope that the assistance from the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department will surely boost the confidence of the farmers.

Stating that the Government is putting its best effort to help the selected farmers, he advised the selected farmers to lend a helping hand to other needy farmers so that all the farmers can work hard to increase the crop production.

JC Ramthanga, Principal Secretary said that the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department aims to increase the productivity of the agriculturist and horticulturist in the State and to make the State fully organic.

Stating that the distribution of tractors and power tillers is one of the components of the annual plan for 2018-19, he said that the distribution program will prove to be effective as the selected farmers will be able to work and produce more.

Meanwhile, K Kipgen, Director, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department lauded the MIDH officers and staff for their effort to provide benefits to the selected beneficiaries.

Stating that now it is best time for cultivation (Kharif season), he said that distribution of the machineries to the selected farmers will surely help them in yielding more crops.

N Premananda Singh, Mission Director, MIDH said that the distribution for the second phase will be carried out in March adding that the process for selecting the beneficiaries for the said phase is underway.

He also lauded the district officers for helping in selecting the genuine beneficiaries.

Maintaining that other benefits are also being provided to the farmers under the MIDH scheme, he invited the farmers to visit the nearest office of the department to avail benefits.

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