By Alex Guite
LAMKA, July 4: Training programme for farmers gets underway today at Saikot village of Churachandpur District, organised by the initiative of the District Agriculture Officer, Agriculture Department, government of Manipur. Around 30 farmers took part in the training.
RK Dorenchand, DAO of Churachandpur said the objective of the training programme is to educate the farmers for better use of land and fertilizers. Speaking to the farmers, he said the farmers can avail all facilities provided by the department, such as fertilizers which are offered at subsidised rate and other raw materials. The door of the department is widely open for the farmers, they should feel free to approach the department, he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training, the DAO said soil testing is an important part of farming nowadays with the help of scientific tools. Identifying the soil would help in opting the right crop for a good harvest, he added. Therefore, CCpur will have a mobile soil testing van soon, which will be an asset for the district, he said.
Agricultural specialist K Ranju and K Ajit spoke on the implementation of the agriculture policy, and correct way of using fertilizer with the right amount and right timing. The experts maintained that out of ignorance farmers usually use double the amount of fertilizers which is harmful for the crops and the soil.
Timing of sowing the seeds is very important, said the experts, adding that the failure of mustard cropping was because of sowing the seeds at an inappropriate time.