Flood damages crops worth ₹5.42 crore
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 24 2025: With completion of the assessment of fruits and vegetables damaged by the recent flood, the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Directorate concluded that the flood in May damaged crops worth Rs 5.42 crore in both the valley and hill areas of the state.

According to director (horticulture and soil conservation) K Devdutta Sharma, the directorate mobilised its own district officers and staff just after two days of the recent flood to carry out physical assessment of inundated fields where fruits and vegetables were planted.

With submission of reports from different districts, an assessment of the damaged crops was done from May 28 till June 2, subsequently confirming that the recent flood damaged different types of nearly ripe fruits and vegetables including high-valued crops like king chilli locally known as U-Morok.

Apart from King chilli planted in 'Sangam' or 'Pari' of paddy fields, the recent flood also damaged watermelon, ash gourd, bottle gourd and ridge gourd planted in vast areas.

Among the reports collected from the hill districts was extensive damage caused to ready-for-harvest cabbage and cauliflower plantations due to landslide and mudslide in Mao area.

As per the assessment, around 151 'Pari' of land planted with different types of fruits and vegetables were damaged and a total of 530 farmers verified based on the reports.

There were also reports of 75 percent damage of paddy fields with fruits and vegetables plantation.

When calculated the value of crops, it was estimated that Rs 5.42 crore worth of fruits and vegetables were lost in the flood.

The directorate has no fund for providing compensation for the damaged crops but there is high possibility of state government procuring fund from available sources to compensate for the damaged crops at least to some extent, Devdutta Sharma said adding that there is possibility of arranging fund for crop compensation from the disaster management.

Horticulture directorate has scheme called market intervention but it is limited to procuring crops from farmers facing market problem and making the crops available to the public at affordable rates.

Recently, the directorate procured around 10 metric tonne of watermelon, ash gourd and pumpkin from farmers of Kakching Khunou area and sold them to the public at Organic Outlet opened in front of directorate office at Sanjenthong thereby preventing complete loss, K Devdutta added.

On the other hand, he informed some media persons that there is remote possibility of holding this year's pineapple festival held annually at Yairipok Thambalnu market in Andro assembly constituency.

However, the directorate is planning to procure pineapples from farmers so that they do not suffer loss.

From the month of May till August every year, the state produces highly demanded pineapple variety called Queen and from October to December another variety called Que with juicy flesh is available abundantly in the state.

Major festivals were organised during both the pineapple seasons.

During the Kang festival, people usually visit Andro to taste Queen variety pineapple and to Bunglon in Churachandpur district during the Que season.

However, both the festivals stopped due to the ongoing violence and COVID-19 pandemic prior to the present crisis even though such festivals served as important platform for marketing.

Nevertheless, the directorate is planning to procure pineapple from farmers and supply the same to local entrepreneurs producing fruit juices like Thangjam Agro industry, Meira Food and Magfruit.

There is high demand of Manipur-origin pineapple in other states and even abroad and the directorate plans to export pineapple as in the past, Devdutta added.

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