Rs 292 cr lost in Yongchak drying: Report
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 05 2008: AN ESTIMATED amount of Rs 292 crores have been lost in the mass drying and dying of tree-bean (Yongchak) occurring in the state said the Apunba Imagee Machashing, AIMS), Manipur while submitting a recommendation of one-day seminar on "Manipurda Yongchak Pambishing Kangshillakpa Amadi Shitharakpa" to the state Governor seeking his possible moral and physical support on the matter. The estimated losses is an alarming situation the state is facing now, said the submission. Mention may be made that AIMS in collaboration with various civil organizations working in the field of agriculture and for the farmers organized the seminar on the mass drying and dying of Yongchak which is a special and important food item for Manipuris on September 22 last in which state experts in the field attempted to the find out the possible scientific reason behind the mass drying and dying of the tree.

A young woman selling Yongchak at B'pur bazar

The recommendation submitted to the state Governor today said that the average economic life of the tree is around 60 years and a tree yield on the average of 650 beans from the fifth to ninth years and from 10th and onward the average yield is 3000 beans.

Yongchak is grow to the extend of around 15 hectares of land and during the current year 2008 an estimated eight lakhs trees and the estimated losses in the process is around Rs.292 crores, the submission put down while urging the state Governor for extending his possible moral and physical support to save this highly economic trees in the state.

As recommended by the experts, in said the rescue and rehabilitation works that can be taken up to save this tree from drying and dying is application of systematic insecticides and systematic fungicides by drip methods (injection in xylum tissue).

Mulching the soil at the foot of the tree to maintain soil moisture and temperature, to take measure for raising nurseries for planting materials both clonal and seed need to be started without further delay through green house techniques to replant the trees in the present areas as well as in new places with freshly raised planting material-colonal and seeds are some of the recommendation put down by the experts in the seminar, it said.

It also while stating that the present disaster is unprecedented causing very heavy damages to the tree bean crops affected the economy of the state and also rendering loss to the farmers also demand to inform the Centre that this natural calamity has greatly affects the economy of the state and request the Union ministry of home affairs to render financial assistance from the calamity relief funds, CRF after inspection if necessary.