leading to losses in terms of lakhs
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Daniel Kamei
Tamenglong, October 04 2010:
Oranges are so suitable in Tamenglong that in order to promote the orange farmers the district administration in collaboration with Horticulture and Orange growers association has beenorganising a 'Orange Festival' in Tamenglong for the past few years.
However, some farmers and intellectual are nervous over the declining produce of citrus fruits in Tamenglong.
An unknown disease of oranges has led to many orange farms being abandoned in the district and many farmers have lost in term of lakhs of rupees.
The unknown disease of orange plants first struck since 2008/2009 and till today the disease continues to cause panic in the poor farmers.
During an interaction some orange farmers revealed that the district administration, particularly the district Horticulture department has done nothing to identify and control the disease.
The disease with the setting in of mildew in the plants resulting in rotting of tertiary (small roots of orange plants), the source said.
Orange farmer N Gonmei of Puching village of Tamenglong said that he has been cultivating oranges in 20 acres of land.
For two years the orange plants just before harvest have been completely destroyed by the unknown disease.
The farmer refused to disclosed how much he had spent to maintained his two oranges farms.
The very poor cultivators in his villages were surviving by working in his farm, he said.
However his desire for orange plantation has not been lost.
He said 'I am preparing a nursery of orange saplings to be planted after the unknown disease has dissipated'.
At present he is planting litchi plants as a substitute.
The distressed farmer said that the surrounding villages of Puching village like Duiluan (Wairangba), Phalong and Guangram villages under Tamenglong police station were also affected by the same disease.
The disease has also been defected near the town areas of Tamenglong district HQs.
One farmer Rahoulung of Tamenglong Ward No.III said that he had cultivated oranges in four acres, but due to the disease the orange plants have dried out.
He said that he used to earn thirty to forty thousand rupees in a season.
At present he has shifted his business and is selling second hands clothes.