Villagers get 90 days job in mustard fields in three months
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 23, 2011: The mustard cultivation scheme taken up by the Agriculture Department at Maklang and its surrounding villages under its IPM and INM method of cultivation has able to provide 90 days work to villagers just in a span of three months.

Mustards were grown in 1500 paris of paddy field under the scheme at Maklang, Kangmong, Heigrujam, Tairenpokpi, Sangaithel, Kachikhul and Khumbong in Imphal west district.

Agriculture department distributed the mustard seeds and bio-fertilizers to the villagers.

One Ramsingh who cultivated mustard in two paris said that villagers who remain doing nothing after the paddy harvesting are now getting jobs with the cultivation of the mustard.

Workers are paid Rs 1500 for harvesting of a sangam of mustard.

Two persons can easily harvest a sangam in just two days.

The mustard cultivation has given jobs not only to villagers of Maklang but also to villagers of Luker and Salam who do not engaged in the cultivation work.

Ramsingh said that people of his village get merely 50 days of work under the MGNREGS although it assured to provide 100 days work to job card holders.

But the mustard harvesting in the 1500 paris has able to provide them 90 days job in just three months.

He further said that the mustard cultivation in the area under the Agriculture Department started three years back and it has enhanced household income of the villagers of the area.

Cultivation of IR-64 paddy has also enhanced rice production in the village.

They used to mix bio-fertilizers with mustard seeds before sowing in the field this year for the first time.

This will enhance the productivity in this season, he hopes.

Untimely raining in three occasions in this season had spoiled many mustard cultivated fields in the state.

But the raining did not affect the cultivation in Maklang area, he observed.

Deputy Director, Agriculture Department, Ph Rajendra, in an interaction with Hueiyen Lanpao, said that approximately 1200 kg of mustard seeds from a pari was harvested last year.

But the production will rose to around 1400 kg in this season, he expected.

The scheme is being implemented in 26,750 paris in the state.

Unfortunately the untimely rainfall has spoiled many fields this season, he added.

He also said that the department will buy the mustard seeds produced from these fields.

Thoiba Konthoujam, secretary, Nongchup Imphal Loumi Sinmi Apunba Chaokhat Thorang Lup said that mustard cultivation was done in only 50 paris in 2008 as a trial.

After successful harvesting of the trial cultivation, the scheme was implemented in 300 paris in 2009 and it has increased to 1500 paris this year.

Meanwhile, Director, Agriculture Department, Palendro along with members of Yumnam Huidrom Farmers' Progressive Union inspected fields where peas and mustards are being cultivated in Yumnam Huidrom area.

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