IMPHAL, October 27: Agriculture Minister, Abdul Nasir while inspecting the recently flood affected areas in Kumbi today promised his government would provide maximum help to flood affected farmers of the area during the approaching Rabi crops season to make up for the losses incurred due the floods.
The inspection tour covers large areas of flood affected field in Kumbi including the fields where the department is experimenting on new varieties of rice `Champra Fou`™ (Champra rice) at Mayang Loukon, even after the field have faced huge flood damage in the recent past.
The minister exhorted the farmers must prepare for Rabi crops cultivation assuring that the Agriculture Department will list Kumbi in its priority list.
Further interacting with the farmers in the Kum LouMee Tinnaba 2015 at Kumbi Lai Achouba Mandop, Abdul Nasir opined that Kumbi constituency can compete with other state like Punjab and Haryana in the field of Agriculture judging by the fertility of the soil and climatic condition.
He further divulged that the state Government has taken decision to give maximum help to Kumbi constituency assuring the government would provide Rabi crops seeds like peas and mustard seeds.
At the same time, he urged the farmers to form cluster having 200/300 members which will then be provided with maximum machinery and technical support in subsidised manner.
The minister also warned that any officials found indulging in corrupt acts or misappropriation while implementing the ambitious project to make up the losses of the farmer will be dealt with seriously.
Kumbi MLA, Sanasam Bira, who also took part during the inspection tour, said that 99% of Kumbi`™s population are cultivator and added that the cultivators should take maximum benefit of the proposed programme promised by the Minister besides show full appreciation of the initiative of the Minister.
Taking the opportunity of the tour he also announced that the Pakka Dam which is under construction at Uyumpokpi area will be completed very soon.
The Dam once completed will give maximum benefits to the farmer as it will provide proper irrigation water paving way for double and multi cropping systems.