IMPHAL, December 5: Agricultural soil has been greatly affected due to over use of chemicals to accelerate agricultural products. The soil absorbs the remains of the pesticides and insecticides sprayed on the plants and vegetables for speedy and enhanced productivity to meet market demand, which turns to slow poisoning, Additional Chief Engineer of CADA, Manipur K Manoranjan Singh observed today.
He was speaking at the ‘World Soil Day, 2015’ organized by the Department of Agriculture at the department’s conference hall.
Speaking as chief guest, Manoranjan stated that there is a need to educate farmers on the importance of cultivating more organic products rather than inorganic for healthy consumption.
He agreed that many of the farmers utilise more than sufficient chemicals making the agricultural products less nutritious and unhealthy for human consumption.
Advanced countries nowadays promote organic agricultural products keeping healthy consumption on priority, he said.
Additional Director of Agriculture Ph Rajendra Singh who presided over the function stated that World Soil Day is being observed since 2013 in other parts of the world, but in India, the observation has commenced only this year following an initiative from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also initiated steps to introduce Soil Health Card in the country under which soil samples will be tested to cultivate the most suitable variety of agricultural products for better production.
India has the target to test 1 crore soil samples to facilitate better cultivation of suitable agricultural products. From the State of Manipur, 11, 000 soil samples will be put up for the test, he said.
He informed that the Agriculture department has been able to complete soil testing of 600 samples.
Informing that Agriculture Department has three mobile soil testing vans to meet the target of soil testing in the State, he declared that by the month of February 2016 a soil testing laboratory will be set up at Porompat area to be equipped with larger capacity for soil testing.
As part of the programme, dignitaries distributed Soil Health Card to farmers who took part in the World Soil Day 2015 observation.