Imphal, December 16: Manipur is one place where the farmers are still using different varieties of chemical fertiliser and pesticide inspite of the blanket ban imposed on use of these harmful chemicals all over India since 1988, Senior Assistant Professor Dr Kh Ibohal Singh of Entomology Department, College of Agriculture, Central Agriculture University, Iroisemba, has stated.

Conducting a training programme on organic farming for the farmers at Isikha today, Dr Ibohal expressed serious concern over indiscriminate use of chemical fertiliser and pesticide in their field by the farmers in Manipur.

In order to stop this harmful agricultural practices, there is the need to make a concerted effort and form something like a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to implement the ban along with encouraging organic farming in the State, he added.

He explained consumption of crops and vegetables grown with the help of chemical fertiliser and pesticide could be harmful to human being apart from the fact that indiscriminate use of these harmful chemical also decrease the fertility of the soil, he said.

Elaborating on the procedure of making organic manure, Dr Ibohal said cow-dung and other easily available household wastes could be utilised for the purpose.

The training programme of the farmers conducted at Isikha was part of the ongoing campaign being implemented by the Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation, Government of Manipur under the guidelines of the National Centre for Organic Farming, Gandhiabad, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

The training programme was organised in association with Society for People's Advancement, Manipur (SPAM).

Earlier giving the key note address of the programme, scheme in-charge K Debadutta Sharma observed that inspite of being a country producing large quantity of food grain, India suffers setback in exporting its products as the same have been cultivated not through organic farming.

Horticulturist S Sanjay and Senior Research Fellow of CAU H Nanita were other resource persons who respectively spoke on the topic of vermi-compost and cultivation of crops through organic farming during the programme, attended by around 500 farmers.

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