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Status
and scope of horticulture in Manipur -I
By Kh Kiran Kumar
Introduction:
Manipur is situated in the Eastern corner of
India forming the boundary state between India
and Myanmar. It lies between 93.03oE to 94.78oE
and 73.83oN to 25.68oN and has a total
geographical area or 22,327 Sq.Km. of which
1,813 Sq.Km form the broad central valley of
Manipur. The remaining area consists of hilly
and mountainous terrain, the highest of which
rises upto 3,000 meters above MSL. The Central
valley has an average altitude of 750 meters
draining from North to South. Manipur state
clearly falls within the monsoon belt of India.
The climate varies mainly from tropical to
sub-tropical with semi-temperate condition
prevailing in the higher altitude areas. It has
distinct winter, warm and rainy season. The
period from November to February is
characterized by low temperature and heavy dew
at night. Frost occurs in winter nights at
higher elevations only.
In April and May the temperature rises but often
cools off towards the afternoon because of
thunderstorm and light showers. The period from
June to September is characterized by heavy
rainfall. The range of temperature for the
state is 0.0oC to 39.0oC. The average rainfall
is about 131.0 cm.
The state had got broadly two distinct soil and
climatic zones namely:
a. Central valley and adjoining minor valleys
where land is flat, soils are heavy to very
heavy in texture; elevation is between 750 to
950 m above M.S.L.
It has two broad sub-divisions.
i) There is quite a sizeable area located by the
side of the rivers criss-crossing the valleys,
bank of which have light textured soil upto
about 500 to 700 m on each side from the banks
of the rivers. Many of the villages are located
in such areas. The farmers grow various fruits
and vegetable crops in these light textured
soils around their homestead land,
ii) The remaining portion of the valley has
heavy to very light textured soil. A single crop
of paddy in the main season is generally
cultivated.
b. The second physiographic division of the
hills has again got two main sub-divisions viz.
i) High hills: Mountains and strongly undulating
areas which are normally higher than 1500 m.
above M.S.L.,
ii) Mid-Hills: Area above 1000 m. M.S.L.
Under the above land categories (b) i) & ii)
there are vast areas which would be suitable for
cultivation of tropical, sub-tropical and
temperate fruits. The important fruit crops in
the state are Pineapple, Citrus, Banana, Guava,
Papaya, Pear, Peach, Plum and other fruits like
Pomegranate, Mango, Litchi, Walnut and Cashew
nut are also grown in the State.
Status of Horticulture in
the State:
The state with rich agriculture resources viz.
land, rains, water, vegetation etc. and because
of the varied agro-climatic conditions, there is
a great scope for development of horticulture.
However, in spite of these, agricultural
productivity and its development is rather low
and slow. The horticultural crops which are the
most important for this region have a great
potential, but are yet mostly unexploited.
Though there are immense scope for development
of Horticulture in Manipur, yet its growth over
the years remain lackluster. It is by and large
practiced as noncommercial enterprise by the
farmers in their homesteads and orchards.
Therefore, it hardly helps in development of
proper markets of horticultural crops. But in
recent years, cultivation of horticultural crops
like-Pineapple, Potato, and vegetables are being
developed on commercial line in many areas of
the state.
As per the Techno-economic Feasibility Report
conducted under the aegis of the NHB, about
2,77,064 ha. has been identified as the
potential areas for horticultural crops. In the
past diversification of agriculture was not
given due attention. There are ample
opportunities for diversification of agriculture
through development of horticulture. For a state
like Manipur with 9/10 of the geographical area
is hilly, horticulture is a way of life and a
tradition.
Horticulture with the support of food processing
industry and proper marketing network will be
the future life line of the state. However, so
far, only 14.5 per cent of the identified
potential area for horticultural crops has been
covered. In spite of having such large scope, so
far, the State has covered only 14.5 per cent of
the total potential areas.
Research Support and
Infrastructure:
In the state there is one Central Agricultural
University at Imphal and one ICAR research
centre for the technological development and
support Experimentation and research is a weak
point of horticultural development in the state.
Coordinated effort should be made by the
department of horticulture, ICAR and Central
Agricultural University to frame a suitable work
program.
SWOT analysis- Strengths
i) Sufficient technical manpower is available
from the state horticulture & soil conservation
department and apart from it, there are many
unemployed agriculture graduates and post
graduate degree holders,
ii) 85% of the existing potential area for
horticultural crops is yet to be covered,
iii) Abundance of manpower - landless laborers,
Unemployed/underemployed daily,
iv) Favorable Agro-climatic conditions,
v) Abundance of rainfall.
Weakness:
i) Poverty and ignorance of the farmers,
ii) Remoteness/Poor communication of the
producing areas,
iii) Nonexistence of proper marketing facilities
for horticultural produces,
iv) Poor communication facilities with rest of
the country which shoots up the cost of
production and prevents the economically
stronger non-tribals to own hill/tribal lands,
v) Existing land tenure system of Manipur
including Manipur Land Revenue Act (MLR Act.),
vi) Limited availability of quality seeds and
planting materials.
vii) Slow pace in adoption of new technologies.
Opportunities:
i) Large scope for area expansion,
ii) Exploration of natural resources,
iii) Different agro climatic condition from
temperate to subtropical,
iv) Opportunity to increase the productivity,
v) Potential for high value low volume crops,
vi) Growing market for processed fruits.
Threats:
i) Absence of proper marketing network and
facilities,
ii) Absence of cold chain,
iii) Bringing of the Jhumia families under
settled cultivation,
iv) Absence of proper post harvest technology.
Constraints in production
of Horticultural Crops in Manipur:
1. Inadequacy of location specific quality seeds
and planting materials,
2. Slow pace in adoption of improved technology
by the farmers.
3. Inadequacy of human resource, trained
manpower among the farmers,
4. Lack of infrastructure facilities for post
harvest management & marketing,
5. Slow pace in area expansion.
6. Poor financial condition of farmers and
predominance of Small and Marginal farmers,
7. Poor delivery system and credit support,
8. Lack of appropriate database for effective
planning.
Interventions for
development of horticulture:
The Department of Horticulture & Soil
Conservation is the only governmental agency
which contributes major share in Horticulture
development in the State and it is supplemented
by a few non-governmental organizations which
play an important role in bringing growth of
horticulture in the State.
During the 8th Plan period, major key areas for
development of horticulture are (i) Integrated
Development of Fruits, ii) Spices, iii) Cashew,
iv) Plasticulture, v) Mushroom etc. in the
horticulture sector and (A) NWDPRA and (B)
WDPSCA in the Soil Conservation sector.
However, the programs have not been able to
bring the desired level of achievement because
of the following reasons.
a) Most of the horticultural crops are season
bound and at times implementation is delayed by
years and escalation of cost factors made almost
a certain reason for shortfall in full filling
the achievement,
b) Poor economy conditions of the farmers has
made almost impossible to
contribute his/her share in monetary terms in
the development of horticulture. On the other
hand some of the horticultural crops have long
gestation period and our farmers unable to make
proper attention during these gestation period
and many orchards fail to develop fully.
c) Development of horticulture in the hill state
like Manipur requires a higher degree of capital
investment in the initial stages of
establishment,
d) High costs involved in the transport of
highly perishable horticultural planting
materials are also factor in the development of
horticulture in the State,
e) Contribution forms the farmers at times low
and which become a serious constraints while
implementing schemes.
During the 9th Plan, the Department is
implementing 8 (eight) CSS schemes under
Horticulture and 2 (two) CSS scheme under Soil
Conservation so that momentum for growth of
horticulture development initiated during the
8th Plan should continue to grow. From the year
2001-02 a new CSS scheme known as Technology
Mission for Integrated Development of
Horticulture have been launched with the
initiative of Govt. of India in mission mode
approach for development of horticulture.
Demand Projection:
The population of Manipur is growing at an
alarming rate of around 2.2 percent per year.
This makes necessary that food production should
also increase at least at the same rate or even
at a faster rate in order to improve the
nutritional status of the masses. At present the
state becomes self sufficient in fruits however
there is an acute shortage in vegetables. At
present, per capita availability of vegetables
is about 59.00 gm per day against the
recommended dietary requirement of 280 gm. per
capita per day. To meet the dietary requirement
a growth rate in excess of 10% in vegetables and
in excess of 4% in other horticultural crops is
desirable. Requirement of horticultural produce
in the year 2007-08 would be 103.48 MT in fruit
and 241.46 MT in vegetables to bring the
nutritional status of the State to the National
Level.
Thrust:
a) Use of quality planting materials and
advanced technology for crop management for
increasing production and productivity,
b) Encouraging cultivation of Spices, Mushrooms,
Cashew nut, Flowers, Bulbs, Root and tuber
crops,
c) Drive for self sufficiency for production of
vegetable seed and other quality planting
materials,
d) Drive towards improving productivity through
use of micronutrients,
bio-fertilizers and adequate plant protection
measures,
e) Speedy supply of inputs through already
established Departmental farms which will serve
as centre for providing inputs required by the
farmers,
f) Effective transfer of technology along with
improved extension service.
Strategies:
In order to overcome the major constraints and
boost up horticultural production the following
10 (ten) points of future strategies are taken
in consideration.
1) Horticulture to combat Jhuming,
2) Emphasis on production of quality planting
materials in the Departmental progeny Orchards,
3) To encourage private and cooperative farming
societies in production of quality seed,
planting materials and to take up horticulture
as a profession,
4) To take up vegetable cultivation in
nontraditional areas particularly in the hill
districts. Intensive cultivation of the
following vegetables crops viz. i) Cabbage, ii)
Cauliflower, iii) Tomato, iv) Pea, v) Radish,
vi) Carrot, vii) French bean, viii) Bhindi, ix)
Brinjal, x) Potato,
5) Emphasis on Pineapple, Citrus, Banana, Pear,
Peach, Plum, Papaya, Cashew, Coconut, Litchi,
Parkia cultivation,
6) Emphasis on cultivation of Spices &
Condiments viz. i) onion, ii) garlic, iii)
chillies, iv) ginger, v) turmeric etc.
7) Emphasis on cultivation of aromatic &
medicinal plants,
8) To encourage cultivation of low volume, high
value Spice crops and Mushroom cultivation,
9) To encourage cultivation of off-season
vegetables and its production for economic
growth of farmers.
10) Development of marketing by installation of
conditioned godown, transport, fruit & vegetable
processing units under cooperative and private
sector.
11) To provide latest Horticultural technology
as one of the inputs to the farmers,
12. Development of Horticultural Research in
co-ordination with the Deptt. Of Horticulture &
Soil Conservation, ICAR and Central Agriculture
University.
to be
continued...
(The author is the director, Horticulture and
Soil conservation, Government of Manipur.)
(Courtesy: The Imphal Free Press) |
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