Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 15 2009:
Harvest time may not bring smiles always.
Paddy plants in around 300 hectares (paris) of agriculture land in Sagolmang area of Imphal East district have miserable failed to yield grains leaving the straws to stand dry in the fields.
The lack of adequate monsoon rains had forced many farmers of the state to sow the paddy rather than practicing the traditional form of transplantation this year.
However, most of the paddy plants have stood with the chaffs only.
Talking to this reporter in a field in Sagolmang Khewa area today, Wahengbam Sunita said she sowed the seeds on the field as there was no adequate rainfalls this monsoon.
She said, many farmers have resorted to that form of cultivation.
Sunita said, like other farmers, smile began to adorn her lips on noticing that some rains begun falling after sowing the seeds.
She had also no worry about insects and pests which can destroy the standing crops as pesticides were sprayed on time with due consultation with experts.
The worst thing befalls on her head when she noticed that the plants yield no fruit.Several farmers in Uyungpok Laiboikhul, Keibi, Heikak Mapal, and Waiton in Imphal district, who this reporter talked to, have shared the same experience.
Some expected a sharp drop in the paddy products while the others see no harvest with their year's toil.
Nongmaithem Bihari of Waikhong observed that though his field seems to bear fruit at the initial stage, on closer observation, he feels that majority of the plant will yield no fruit.
He said, more than 60% of the plants will bear no grain.
Adding his worries is that the remaining plants will not be harvested as usual.
Evidently, it is obvious that a sharp drop in the harvest is inevitable.