IMPHAL, July 19: V Tuime Lolly, a resident of Kachai village, Ukhrul and beneficiary farmer of Horticulture Mission (MM I) implemented by ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre has been awarded prestigious Jagjivan Ram Abhinbav Kisan Puruskar (Best Farmer Award) for the year 2011-12.
The award is given every year by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Govt. of India on 16th July i.e. foundation day of ICAR.
V. Tuime Lolly has received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000/- and citation from Shri Sharad Pawar, Union Minister of Agriculture and FPI and Harish Rawat, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, FPI & Parliamentary Affairs at Award Ceremony held on 16th July, 2012 at NASC Complex, New Delhi.
Dr. N Prakash, Joint Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region congratulated Lolly and his Horticulture Mission Team. He opined that the recognition of Lolly will encourage other farmers to grow crops in a farming system mode to enhance their profitability.
V. Tuime Lolly has been growing kachai lemon since long time as this lemon has become an endemic crop in this village. Most of the orchard had become unproductive due to poor orchard management and growing of exhaustive crops like banana, maize and colocasia as intercrops. Lolly sought help from ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre for rejuvenation of his lemon orchard.
The ICAR team surveyed the area, identified the problems and suggested him to go for integrated farming system. ICAR team undertook residential training and demonstration programmes under Horticulture Mission for North Eastern and Himalayan States (Mini Mission I).
Under the programme, the step by step procedure of developing integrated farming system was demonstrated by the ICAR team. With the technological assistance from ICAR, V. Tuime Lolly has developed a Citrus Based Integrated Farming System on an area of 20 hectors in his village. He is growing Khasi mandarin, Kachai lemon and Sweet orange on his farm. Along with these crops, the other crops that he is integrating on the farm are maize, soybean, banana, papaya, vegetables, turmeric etc. and legumes as intercrop to maintain the soil fertility.
He has scientifically integrated dairy, piggery, fishery and sericulture with the crop component. He has constructed one water harvesting pond in which he is rearing the fish and utilizing the water to provide life saving irrigation to the crops during the lean period. All these measures have resulted in improved productivity of fruits, vegetables and other crops. He manages his farm in consultation with the scientists of ICAR, Manipur Centre. In addition, he has also established one small scale fruit processing unit `M/s TUWA FRUITS` and is preparing value added products of Kachai Lemon to enhance the profitability of the system. His work has also been widely recognized and he has also received assistance from the state department and NABARD.