Pandemic highlights importance of self reliance in food production: AMPFA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 15 2021:
The Government and relevant departments should take up initiatives to ensure that required fertilises, pesticides and other agricultural machineries are made available to the farmers in time and markets or point of sale for their agricultural products should also be made available.
All Manipur Progressive Farmers's Association (AMPFA) said this in a statement issued today and added that the Government had already face the issue of wastage of agricultural products due to unavailability of markets during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And if the Government is unable to cater to these needs, it would mean they didn't learn any lesson nor did they take up any initiative, added the statement.
The launched of MOMA portal to provide a one stop centre for sales and buying of agricultural products from every nook and corner of Manipur is in fact a great initiative taken up by the Government under the able leadership of Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
However as MOMA alone cannot manage the entire produce of the state, the Government should rope in farmers, farmers union, marketing agencies, and other relevant organisation to ease out the process, added the statement.
AMPFA also added in the statement that the earlier belief of 'if there is money, we can buy everything' has been thrashed by the second wave of the pandemic which has hit every corner of India hard and has reduced the movement of essential goods from other parts of the country to Manipur.
This has only strengthen the need increase production of essential commodities in the state to achieve self reliance.
To achieve self reliance, the farmers need fertilisers, good varieties of seeds and saplings, pesticide, insecticides, agricultural machineries and irrigation.
The government should ensure that fertilisers and pesticides are made available to farmers in the right time at reasonable prices.
The irrigation projects already completed should be started immediately to able the farmers to start their cultivation, added AMPFA in the statement.