Farmers' field day on rapeseed-mustard held
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 13 2025: Farmers' held day on rapeseed organised by All India Coordinated Research Project on Rapeseed-Mustard of the College of Agriculture, Iroisemba under Central Agricultural University (CAU), Imphal under the sponsorship of NEH Component of ICAR Rapeseed-Mustard scheme of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rapeseed-Mustard Research, Bharatpur was held Thursday at Thinungei Makha Leikai community hall in Bishnupur district.

During the Farmers' held day, CAU Imphal registrar professor TR Sharma said India is still unable to produce self-sufficient cooking oil with around 40 percent of cooking requirement of the country being imported thereby spending huge expenditure.

Accordingly, the Government of India is giving more emphasis on production of oil seed crops and invested Rs 10,000 crore to double production of oil seed crops in the coming few years.

According to professor TR Sharma, rape-seed-mustard plantation as demonstration was started by 14 farmers at 10 'Paris' of paddy fields of Thinungei for first time in the year 2021-22 under zero tillage.

As beneficiary farmers of the village earned huge profit, rapeseed-mustard plantation in the village increased to 35 hectares and 51 benehciaries in the year 2022-23 and then to 57 hectares and 64 benehciaries in the year 2023-24, he said adding that farmers are hoping for bountiful harvest this year and planning to increase cultivation area.

He also said that many villagers have come out to take up rape-seed-mustard plantation under zero tillage in their paddy helds.

The farmers' held day was also participated by professor N Brajedra Singh of CAU Imphal's department of genetics and plant breeding, CAU Imphal research director Dr Lalita Mohan, former Bishnupur ZP Upa-Adhakshya Thokchom Nimai and scientist Dr Diana Shamurailatpam of College of Agriculture, Iroisemba.

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