Imphal, November 12 2009: The state Agriculture department has finally put that only 30% of the annual food products of the state would shrink due to irregular and shortage of monsoon rains this year.

Negating its earlier prediction that 50% of the annual agriculture products would shrink due to poor monsoons, Director of Agriculture department, RK Noyansana said only 30% of the agriculture product would decline.

Against the backdrop of poor monsoons, it may be mentioned, the state government has been declaring the state as 'drought-hit' in June this year.

After conducting spot survey, the state agriculture department had assessed that 50% of the agriculture products will be in short this year.

The Agriculture Director observed that the Rice Intensification (SRI) technology launched by the Union Ministry of Agriculture to enhance crop productions has helped the state in recovering some loss due to poor monsoons.

RK Noyansana said the implementation of the new crop production enhancement technology is a success in many parts of the state.

A triple increase in the production of paddy crop has been recorded in the state with the launched of the new technology.

Thanks to the ARI technology, only 30% of the annual production of paddy crop in the state will be short.

She said, awareness on the new farming technology should be given to all farmers of the state.

She added that the production of paddy in the state will be enhanced next year if the state government succeeds in drawing the sanctioned amount on time.

Under the SRI technology, a single plant should be sowed within a space of 25 square centimeters.

Under this expertise, paddy/crop could be planted on wet soils.

However, the method is not suitable in hill areas.

If implemented suitably, crops in 50,000 hectares of land will yield enough stock that would suffice the need of the whole people of Manipur including migrants in a year.

RK Noyansana said, respective District Agriculture Officers (DAO) have been informed to submit a survey report on the annual production in each district.

Each DAO has conducted the field survey in their respective district to prepare the report.

The required amount of rice in the state (at the rate of 210 kilograms per individual) in a year is estimated to be 621.34 lakh metric tons.

Allaying the apprehension that food crisis is hitting the state next year, the Agriculture Director said the government has already arranged for the procurement of APL rice to recover the shortage of food production.

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