Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 30 2010:
Farmers Sunday made a join declaration that they will work hard to make Manipur a self sustainable in terms of food production.
Hundreds of farmers took part in the State Level Farmers Meet and Inauguration of Kharif Campaign 2010 organised at GM Hall Imphal organised by the Department of Agriculture today.
Speaking on the occasion as chief guest, state agriculture minister, N Loken asserted that his department is trying its best to import fertilizers require by the farmers convincing the farmers who worried of scarcity of same in the pick season.
"My department has consulted with the Chief Minister to give subsidy to the extra fair charges while procuring the fertilizers from Namarup (in Assam).
One hundred trucks will be sent to transport the fertilizers with special security escort," Loken said.
Before this farmers taking part in the interaction session with the officials of the agriculture department and agricultural scientists and experts of the state expressed apprehension of shortage of fertilizers due to the economic blockade.
And they urged the government to make arrangement and ensure availability of fertilizers timely to the farmers.
In reply to the farmers' apprehension, deputy director of soil chemist of the agriculture department, Ph Rajendro said that they had consulted the matter at high level and government has agreed to bear the extra expenditure of the fertilizers dealers in procuring the item from Namarup in Assam where state quotas of fertilizers are collected.
The shortest route to collect fertilizers from Namarup in Assam is the Imphal-Dimapur section of the NH-39 but due to economic blockade and total ban of Manipur vehicles in Nagaland, no fertilizers in the stock in the state.
Reiterating that government will bear the extra expenditure in procuring the fertilizers on the NH-53, agriculture minister also appealed the fertilizer dealers not to hike the praises of the fertilizers they are to procure under government special arrangement.
Officials of the state agriculture department estimated the net requirement of fertilizers in a year in Manipur is at 360 metric tones for the first crop.
Apart from agriculture minister, officials of the department, Letkhogin, commissioner (agriculture), L Palandro, director attended as president and guest of honour.
The dignitaries also distributed prizes of the first, second and third positions holders of the crop competition of the farmers of Integrated Pest Management (IMP) .