People meet to join hands to ensure enough food production for the State: CAU VC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 09 2020: Vice-Chancellor of Central Agricultural University (CAU), Prof Moirangthem Premjit Singh has sought support from all sections to make Manipur self-sufficiency in term of food.

Speaking to The Sangai Express on Friday, M Premjit stated that as Nationwide imposition of lockdown has troubled people across the country with Inter-State movement and certain activities brought to almost a standstill, people in the State have to join hands to produce enough food to meet the domestic needs.

Conveying that officials of CAU, ICAR, NABARD Horticulture, Agriculture and other departments dealing in agriculture and its allied sectors have convened a series of meeting with Chief Minister N Biren Singh in the chair at CM secretariat office to chalk out possible means for bumper food production, the VC said that a State Task Force Committee was constituted on April 28 for agriculture development.

We all have to lend our helping hands to the task force so that farmers in both hills and valley regions produce enough food such as rice, vegetables and fishes to meet the State demands, the VC said assuring that CAU will provide all possible help to the recently constituted task force committee.

Saying that CAU had preserved seedlings for planting paddies next year, he lamented that the university had also distributed about 40,000 MT of paddy seeds (Tampha Phou) to the farmers for plantation.

For this year, paddy seeds were distributed to nearly 700 farmers on May 4 and 5, he said adding that plantation of those seeds will begin on June or July and it will be harvested on or around November.

The VC also said that some NE States such as Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland regularly procure paddy seeds from Manipur for cultivation at the rate of Rs 46 per kilo.

Certain farmers have also been engaged to grow a variety of paddy which can be harvested in short duration (130-135 days) and black rice (Chakhao) at 10 paris of agricultural land each, he said adding that varieties of paddy called 'Mangal' and 'CAUR1' have also made available to the local farmers for plantation.

Another variety of paddy called "Tomthin" which is developed by CAU is also grown in hill areas, he said and appealed to farmers in hills and valley to identify crops which are best suitable for growing in their respective region.

Saying that maize and soybean, which are also used in feeding fishes are best suitable for growing in hills ecosystem, the VC stated that maize was planted on 100 paris of land in a hilly region of the State in April and soybean in 20 paris of land this month.

The university has ordered 5000 saplings of coconut tree from Assam at the rate of Rs 100 per sapling for plantation in Manipur, he said and added that CAU is targeting to plant at least 3,000 of these saplings at Kwatha Village and 2,000 in Jiribam.

Plantation of maize, kiwifruit, and avocado will start at Tongou Village, Ukhrul, Premjit said adding that varieties of fruits and vegetables are also grown in several villages adopted by CAU.

Saying that the total land area of CAU, Imphal is 281 acres and has 14 fish rearing ponds, he added that the fishes worth around Rs 2 lakh were sold in Ningol Chakkouba last by CAU.

Jersey cows, ducks and pigs are also reared at CAU campus, he added and continued that a food processing unit is also opened at the university campus which has a hall that can train at least 100 farmers at a time.

Recalling that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set an objective to double farmers income by 2022, he appealed all concerned to work hard to fulfil the dream which will benefit the farmer's community.

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