Farmers urged to focus on Rabi crops after Kharif setback
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, November 20 2023:
While appealing to the farmers to concentrate on cultivation of Rabi crops to increase production and make the state self-sufficient in food, commissioner (agriculture) RK Dinesh has assured that the Agriculture Department will provide necessary inputs and help farmers increase the Rabi crop yield.
Though Kharif season suffered setback this year owing to scanty rainfall and the ongoing unrest, farmers need not worry as they could still make up the loss suffered during the Kharif season from the upcoming Rabi season, stated RK Dinesh during a demonstration cum awareness on Nano urea for Rabi season 2023-24 held at Sangaithel village, the adopted village for Rapeseed and Mustard under district agriculture officer (DAO), Imphal West.
According to RK Dinesh, the year 2023 has turned out to be very difficult for the agriculture sector as farming activities were badly affected due to scanty rainfall coupled with outbreak of conflict in the state.
Despite the ongoing unrest, farmers have to work hard for keeping their fields green to increase crop production, he stressed and appealed to the farmers to focus on Rabi season crops after harvesting Kharif crops.
DAO Imphal West S Kenedy, who also took part the demonstration programme held at Sangaithel Makha Leikai community hall, said that the agriculture department has been taking up different steps to develop Sangaithel as a model agricultural village.
One significant step taken by the department has been plantation of oil producing mustard plants with the main objective of increasing production of mustard seeds.
In the year 2022, mustard plants were sown in 55 'Paris' of paddy fields at Sangaithel Makha Leikai and harvested properly.
This year, the department is planning to cover 111 Paris of land for which preparations have been made to provide sufficient irrigation water to fields by digging five field ponds and constructing three Check Dams.
This wifi help farmers access irrigation water throughout the year and keep their fields green all the time and ultimately help in making the state self-sufficient in food, he added.
The demonstration cum awareness programme was also attended by director (agriculture) N Gojendro and officials, experts and scientists of the department.
Experts explained to farmers about utilisation of Nano urea and its advantages over costly solid urea.
Later, farmers were handed mustard seeds, Nano urea and masoor seeds.