THOUBAL, February 10: The All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Tuber Crops and Central Agriculture University (CAU) Imphal jointly organised a one day programme on Scientific Cultivation of Tuber Crops at the farmers’ conference hall of Kakching Khunou, Hongbiban in Thoubal district.
Prof W Ingo Meitei, head of horticulture department, college of agriculture, CAU Imphal; M Tomba, president, All Lou-oo Sing-oo Lup and its member Rev Ranjit attended the function as chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
In her keynote address, associate professor of CAU, AK Bijaya Devi said that there will be no land for cultivation of rice after due course of time, adding that the tuber crops such as cassava, potato etc will replace rice cultivation.
So, the farmers of the state should be oriented towards tuber crops cultivation, further expressing that tuber crop is presently main food for some countries around the round the world.
She added that the training programme is being organised to impart knowledge on tuber crops to the farmers of the state continuing that tuber crop has also generated more stamina and sportsmanship.
Bijaya further requested the farmers to opt for tuber crop cultivation.
The chief guest of the training programme Ingo Meitei said that the due to the demographic issues, there will be no land for rice cultivation and at that time, human will opt to tuber crops and other horticulture cultivation as Horticulture demanded less horizontal land space adding that there is a situation in Manipur of ship to mouth culture. The people of the state should ponder a lot on this matter very seriously.
He also mentioned of marketing plan that a farmer may perish a lot of pineapples in a season due lack of marketing costing Rs 10 or 20 a pineapple but a single pineapple could be converted Rs 100 by manufacturing it as bear.