Kachai, the village of lemons
Source: The Sangai Express / A Jiten

Imphal, May 24: The story of the famous juicy Kachai lemon cannot be complete without devoting a few lines, at least to late S Paisho.

It was Paisho who introduced this high quality lemon to Kachai village of Ukhrul district inhabited by Tangkhul group some 60 years back.

At first Paisho planted some lemon plants at his residential compound and in his buffalo farm.

But today this small village known all over the State and beyond for its lemon, is popularly known as Kachai lemon.

Each and every 300 household of Kachai now grows 50 to 1000 lemon plants.

Realising the economic viability of growing lemon, the district administration has been organising lemon festival since 2005.In fact, planting lemon plants has become a reliable source income for Kachai households.

Kachai villagers nurturing lemon plants at the hill slopes

Among citrus fruits, Manipuris, particularly Meiteis used to compare small but quality objects or capable persons by saying pikcharabashu champrani (though small, it/she/he is a lemon).

No other variety of lemon fits the description of the proverbial Manipuri champra or lemon better than Kachai lemons.

So suitable is the soil and climate of Kachai to grow this variety of lemon that one hectare can produce 70/80 tonnes of lemon in a year without any external input.

The juice of these lemons are found to between 36 to 56 ml.

However, due to lack of proper management and over exploitation of these lemon orchards in the last few years, many orchards are facing extinction as many lemon plants have started withering.

Taking note of the situation, the Information Centre for Hill Areas Manipur (ICHAM) in coordination with the Kachai Fruit Farming and Processing Co-operative Society planted 25,000 lemon saplings in the village till yesterday.

The actual target is to plant 40,000 saplings.

In an encouraging development, ICHAM, the Cooperative Society and the lemon farmers have joined hands to market these high quality lemons.

Speaking on the joint initiative, ICHAM president N Rajendra said that ICHAM would provide the remaining number of lemon saplings for plantation in the society's farm which covers about 30 hectares.

Moreover ICHAM would help market Kachai lemons besides urging upon the Government to upgrade the District Level Lemon Festival to State level.

At present, lemon plants are grown and marketed by the farmers on their own individual capacity.

Manufacturing of lemon juice or pickles are also being done on individual level.

But price of lemons is fixed by the society.

The society was formed by the villagers in 1975 .

K Thishak, chairman of the society, said that it will certainly reap the yield of its lemon farm after 2/3 years.

Kachai lemons being produced today are the produces of individual farms, he said.

Disclosing that the basic problem of the lemon farmers is transportation and marketing, Thishak said at the peak lemon season (December), Kachai lemon are sold at the rate of Rs 6 per kg while in the off season (March), it increased to Rs 10 to 21 per kg.

As the farmers want more profit, they often try to sell their lemon produces in April.

But plucking fruits in April cause injury to the plants, he said.

While transporting the lemons from Kachai to Ukhrul and then to Imphal, illegal taxes are often levied , particularly along Imphal-Ukhrul road, Thishak disclosed.

As the village is located about 43 kms West of Ukhrul district Hqs, lack of cold storage and food processing unit in Kachai and Ukhrul is the biggest handicap of the lemon farmers.

Whatever juice products produced in the village is local made.

There has been no initiative either from the Government or the villagers to conduct training on manufacturing fruit juices.

Except for certain material assistance, there has been no fund allotment from the Horticulture Department.

On the other hand, in connection with the joint initiative of the ICHAM, the society and the lemon farmers, Horticulture Minister Phungzathang Tonsing reportedly spurned aside the Centre's request for an expert team and some assistance in the form of a vehicle and money.

ICHAM vice-president Paokam Haokip has decried the alleged indifferent attitude of the Minister.