Letpao opens 4th Kiwi Fest
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 06 2022: Horticul-ture and Soil Conservation Minister Letpao Haokip has stated that the State Govern-ment is striving to fully utilise all unused lands and tap the potential of the hill districts for the economic growth of the State.

The Minister made the remark while attending the opening ceremony of the 4th Manipur Kiwi Fruit Festival held at Oinam Hill village of Senapati as chief guest.

Letpao Haokip continued that he was elated to see kiwi fruits being planted successfully at different villages of Senapati as the fruit variety is not grown naturally in Manipur .

Maintaining that only 10 to 20 per cent of land available in hill districts is utilised, Letpao stated that the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department has been working relentlessly to make use of the remaining swathes of land by planting varieties of fruits and crops for economic growth.

Letpao opens 4th Kiwi Fest

The department is considering planting high yielding fruits and vegetables in these unexploited land, he said and sought cooperation from the farmers and people.

Further stating that 3100 farmers from Senapati have been planting different varieties of organic fruits and vegetables under the supervision of MOMA, Letpao elaborated that turmeric is being planted in 1150 hectares of land, ginger in 125 hectares of land, U-Morok in 325 hectares of land, kiwi fruits in 509 hectares of land and corn in another 500 hectare of land in Senapati.

Many facilities such as planting material, collection and segregation centres and four wheeler vehicles have been given to the registered farmers, Letpao continued.

The two-day festival is being organised by Senapati Producers' Organisation of Organic Kiwi Fruit while MOMA, MIDH, EBADA and NEC are the sponsors.

Project Director of MOMA K Debadutta Sharma said that plantation of kiwi fruits as an identified crop started in 2016 .

Saying that the plantation of kiwi fruits in Manipur is successful as the fruit variety has already been exported to other States, he maintained that 11 metric tonnes of kiwi fruits were exported this year and preparation is on to export another 10 metric tonnes.

He went on to state that the Government is looking for other suitable spots to plant kiwi fruits to increase the production of the fruit variety and build a processing unit at Nilakuthi Food Park.

MLAs S Premchandra, J Kumo Sha and Director of Horticulture and Soil Conservation Honey Chara also attended the programme, among others.