Special plan for flood affected farmers to grow winter crops
Source: Hueiyen News Service / RC Mangangcha

Imphal, November 01 2015 : Agriculture being the main occupation of the people of Manipur, the State Government is planning to initiate a special plan to let farmers, whose crops were completely destroyed due to the recent devastating flood, grow winter crops.

Director of Agriculture Department Louis Ngangsainao told Hueiyen Lanpao that crop production in Manipur declined considerably due to the massive flood that swept the State in June and July this year.

The production of paddy crops will be reduced by around 68 thousand metric tons this year due to the flood, said Louis Ngangsainao.

He added that the Agriculture Department is planning to let farmers grow winter crops in their fields now to more or less compensate for the loss.

Special plan for flood affected farmers to grow winter crops

The plan estimated to cost around Rs 5 crore will be launched under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Crop Contingency Plan, Government of India.

Manipur Agriculture Department had already sent DPR to the Government of India.

The State's farmers will be benefitted if the Central Government grants permission for the initiative, said Louis Ngangsainao.

According to the plan, winter crop seeds will be provided for free to the State's farmers through District Agriculture Officers.

The productions from the fields will be solely own by the farmers.

Earlier, the State Agriculture Department estimated that around 3.80 lakh metric tons of paddy crops will be produced from the State's paddy fields of 1,95,000 hectares.

Unfortunately, the production this year will be only around 3.22 lakh matric tons, said Louis Ngangsainao.

Louis Ngangsainao further stated that the recent flood in Manipur completely destroyed 31,773 hectares of paddy fields and 1,648 hectares of other fields which grew crops.

Thoubal District bore the brunt of the flood.

4,881 hectares of paddy fields in Imphal East District, 2,329 hectares in Imphal West District, 3,320 hectares in Bishnupur District, total 1,967 hectares in Chandel District, 329 hectares in Churachandur District, 123 hectares in Senapati District, 450 hectares in Tamenglong District and a total of 2,397 hectares in Ukhrul District were completely destroyed due to the flood.