Imphal, February 04: Highlighting severe difficulties currently faced by farmers, particularly orange planters, at some Tamenglong district areas the Shalom Agro-Horticulture Society, Longzang has fervently appealed to the department concerned to make necessary arrangement to address the grim situation at the earliest.

Informing that amongst the orange producing areas of the State, Longzang, Leishok, Taosang and Nungnang areas of Tamenglong district are well known for its product in terms of quantity, the Society said due to large scale outbreak of powdery mildew in April-May months last year orange production had failed miserably.

More, the farmers' woes have been compounded as rainfall ceased from November till date even the plants are in danger of withering if the trend continues, said the Society while adding that over ten years of hard labour in nurturing the orange plants would go waste until the State Government provides farm equipments like water sprinkler etc.

As there is still no sign of rainfall for the next few months the only hope for thousands of orange planters is dependent upon positive response from the Government in not only saving the orange plants through supply of water pumps/sprinklers without further delay but also provide an alternative means to the farming community who could resort to winter crop plantation if the urgent appeal is reciprocated positively.

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