“12,000 metric tonnes more of mustard oil needed to meet the need of the state”

IMPHAL, Oct 29: "Manipur farmers need to produce more than 12,000 metric tonnes more of mustard oil in order to meet the need of the state which is imported from other region at present", said Dr Premjit,  Director of Extension Education, Central Agriculture University (CAU) while giving his chief guest address at the launching programme of Zero Tillage Cultivation of Rapeseed-Mustard under DRMR, Central Agriculture University (CAU) held at seijang Community Hall, Imphal East today.

Farmers in Manipur have low income due to lack of new technology of agriculture and absence of canal facility, he said suggesting that farmers should switch on to farming multiple items like rearing animals, poultry farming and piggery for earning higher income and living a better lifestyle.

Noting that with the increasing population, demand for agricultural product has also been increasing, he called for adopting innovative method and scientific technology for increasing agricultural yield and as an instance added that keeping of bee-box with bee around the mustard field increase the mustard yield by 25% and profit can increase from rupees eleven thousand to twelve thousand.    

He also distributed agricultural materials to ten farmers' clubs of Seijang villge consisting of 150 members which include 60 bags of Urea, 195 bags of Single Super-Phosphate, 50 bags of murate of

Potanus, 100 bee-box, 912 kg of rapeseed variety TS-38 from Assam  Agricultural University and 24 kg of Mustard variety like  NRC HB – 101 from Bharatpur, Rajasthan.