Shyamkumar launches ‘Organic Manipur’

IMPHAL | Jan 9

Launching the brand name ‘Organic Manipur’, horticulture and soil conservation minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar said the organic products of the farmers working under the department will be sold under the brand name.

Shyamkumar launched the brand name and released the 2018 yearly calendar of Organic Manipur at his residential office at Kangla Park. Addressing media persons, he said the Centre has been providing livelihood to the organic farmers of the state under various schemes. The farmers need not worry as their produces will be sold under the brand name.

As concerned to the rising cases of health issues and diseases Shyamkumar stressed on the need for switching to organic cultivation and usage of vermicompost instead of chemical fertilisers. He also informed that the department is working hard to provide loan to make vermicompost to the farmers of the state in collaboration with the banks soon. Appreciating the farmers for cooperating with the department, he expressed his hope that farmers in collaboration with the departments of horticulture and agriculture can take up more developmental work including increasing the yield and exploring other areas.

Debadutta Sharma, project officer, Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) said in the first year of organic cultivation the agency covered an area of 5,000 hectares of land out of which 2,000 hectares of land was used for cultivating black rice or aromatic rice (chak-hao) in the valley districts. Meanwhile 3,000 hectares of land was used for cultivation of ginger, turmeric, orange, lemon, pineapple and king chilli (u-morok) in an area of 500 hectares of land equally in 6 hill districts.

He said the state this year will get the C2 certificate (organic certification) which is given after 3 years of continuous organic cultivation. Once the certification is procured the organically certified products of the state can be sold under the brand name ‘Organic Manipur’ worldwide.  The organic products of the farmers will be processed in an integrated processing unit (which will be established later) that is where brand name is needed so that the products of the state can be packaged and marketed. The organic products of the state can be recognised with the brand name ‘Organic Manipur’. For promotion of organic products Shyamkumar has approved to open more organic outlets in the state, he added.

In order to promote healthy lifestyle among the citizens of the State, ‘Organic Outlet’ was opened at Sanjenthong by Shyamkumar on November 20 last year, which is the first organic outlet in the north east India selling organic produces/products of the farmers under MOMA. The organic outlet was opened under the Mission Organic Chain Development for North East Region (MOCD-NER).

Instituted as the nodal agency for the central scheme MOCD-NER of the union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare, MOMA functions under the aegis of the horticulture and soil conservation department.

1. Radhakishore Singh, MLA Oinam A/C who is also the chairman of Manipur Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Khadi and Village Industries Board (KVIB) and Parul Mehta, junior marketing officer, union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare were also present at the event.