Farmers meet
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 16 2022:
A gathering of farmers from all districts of the State was held at the Conference Hall of Diocesan Social Service Society, Mantripukhri, Manipur on January 15 to deliberate on the issues and challenges faced by the farmers of Manipur with inputs from local and outside experts.
According to a joint statement issued by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Human Rights Alert (HRA) and Loumi Sinmi Apunba Lup (LOUSAL), the gathering adopted 11 resolutions during the course of the discussion.
The resolutions include formulation of a holistic agricultural policy for the State through an inclusive process, establishment of a strong farmers' union, learning the limitations of the PDS where vested interests receive more gains rather than the beneficiaries, Government buying agricultural and horticultural products while ensuring a Minimum Procurement Price and distributing it through the existing Targeted Public Distribution System, equitable and transparent distribution of seeds and bio-fertilizer, ensure functionality of existing lift river irrigation and the Loktak lift irrigation system while launching new initiatives to harvest rainwater in hill areas, encouraging multiple and diverse cropping, providing liberal credit facilities to small and marginal farmers and regulations to curb exploitative money lending practices, ensuring stable market of agricultural and horticultural products, expediting training in modern form of agricultural practices, food processes and marketing and learning from the negative impact of Palm oil tree plantation.