Tree beans exhibition begins today
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, March 14 2022: Experts have estimated that Manipur spends around Rs 370 crore in a year in importing tree beans (Yongchak) only from the neighbouring country Myanmar.

Preparations have been made for organising state level workshop cum exhibition of tree bean (Yongchak) by Association for Protection and Promotion of Tree Bean (APOT) at ICAR Research Complex for NEH region, Manipur centre, Lamphelpat conference hall from Tuesday.

The experts recalled that growing Yongchak was an excellent business in the state.

However, decline of Yongchak due to various reasons including insect and fungus attack, shortage of water source, change in ecosystem, reduction of plant pollinating animals like bats and absence of proper management, etc., on.

a large scale in different parts of Manipur in the recent past is a big issue, they pointed out, while expressing concern that locally produced Yongchak is gradually disappearing from the markets in Manipur.

During the last few decades, many cases of mass- withering of Yongchak trees have been observed seriously affecting socio-economic status of the growers.

The farmers have been compelled to look for alternative means of livelihood.

Plantation of poppy has gained more interest than growing of Yongchak, the experts pointed out, while stressing the need for scientific and biotechnological interventions for developing short term and long-term strategies for the socio-economic impact, propagation, protection and sustainable production of the highly important tree of the state.

The authority concerned should frame a clear-cut policy to fight the decline and to activate all the relevant machineries to save the economy of the state from loss in importing Yongchak from Myanmar and from being completely vanishing from the state, the experts opined.

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