Manipur Rice At Par With Japanese in Taste

By Sobhapati Samom
 


Imphal, Nov 14 : Manipur’s scented black rice, popularly known as Chakhao in local tongue, has similar food value and taste with Japanese variety rice which is being sold at Rs 400 per kilogram in New Delhi, said Dr SV Ngachan, Director, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for NE Hill Region.

Dr Ngachan was sharing his view during a day-long field day on rice cum farmers fair at ICAR complex here. He said, “ the farmers and concerned authorities need to explore the market potentials besides upgrading technologies in their farming activities”.

He also informed the gathering that ICAR has a new Tribal Support Programme under National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) which can be adopted in upland areas where farmers face water scarcity.

Tripura has become the most productive State as their farmers practise improved farming technology, he said. He asserted that an integrated approach of various farming systems and linkages with various line departments besides increasing yield to 1.7 metric tonnes per hectare would help Manipur to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.

The State has deficits in production of pulses (10 per cent), meat (32 per cent), fish (50 percent), eggs(46 per cent, milk (60 per cent). The State surplus only in production of pork meat.

With the per capita annual requirement of rice in Manipur being roughly 200 kilos, the deficit of the State stands at 65,000 metric tonnes, according to Agriculture Director L Palendro.

Manipur was ranked eighth in all India level during the 10th Plan. However, the State is deficient in rice production. “But we can overcome the deficit if the farmers increases pre-Kharif rice farming area to 10,000 hectares besides using SRI (System of Rice Intensification) method”, Palendro said. The State has an estimated cultivable area of around two lakh hectares.

He urged the farmers to cultivate mustard after paddy cultivation using zero tillage method which is now widely and successfully adopted at Maklang area of Imphal West district. He also appealed to the farmers to adopt balanced use of fertilisers.

Earlier, State Agriculture Minister Ph Parijat opened the farmers fair where Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Churachandpur was adjudged the best among the five KVKs. More than a hundred farmers from different districts of Manipur attended the field day on rice cum farmers fair.