Imphal, December 27 2010: Training programmes to train the women farmers to produce non-toxic and healthy agricultural products is very much needed in the state, said Professor Naorem Iboton, Dean of College of Agriculture, Central Agriculture University.

In an interview with this newspaper, Professor Iboton said that most of the workers working in the fields for agricultural production are women.

Women also indulged in kitchen gardening in almost every household.

If the women are provided training and awareness programmes, it will help in reducing use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and the use of bio-fertilizers can be propagated and encouraged.

It will help in producing more healthy, organic and non-toxic agricultural products.

Prof.Iboton said that more than 1000 women have been provided training under the schemes of the university.

Most of them are women from the valley.

The scheme of training programmes is a period of five years, in which the University is targeting production of more healthy organic products.

Two years have already passed.

After the five years' scheme is completed, the state will see a change in the production of healthy non-toxic agricultural products.

He stressed the need of participation by the women farmers in the training programmes organized by the University.

The University is taking up initiatives in teaching, research and extension programmes in the field of agriculture.

Villagers are provided with seeds and paddy under the Village Seed Production scheme which is under the extension programme.

The University also bought back the products after harvesting.

The University is adopting System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of plantation in around 10 hectares of land.

The area will be increased to 50 hectares in the next season.

SRI method uses only seven kilos of paddy seeds in a Pari, as compared to the traditional method which used around 80 kilos of seeds.

Production rate is also higher by the SRI method as compared to the traditional method.

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