Manipur CM calls for agricultural push to revive state’s economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 30 released more than ₹18,690 crore to over 9.34 crore farmers across the country under the 24th instalment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi scheme. He also dedicated 521 units developed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and inaugurated 12 horticulture clusters.

The release took place during PM Kisan Utsav Diwas in Gujarat. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh attended the programme at the Manipur State Film Development Society in Imphal.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said Manipur’s economy had suffered considerably due to the ongoing crisis, with revenue sources, including GST collections, also affected. He said agriculture remained one of the strongest pillars of the state’s economy and could play a significant role in reviving economic activity and generating income.

The Chief Minister noted that agriculture, horticulture, handloom, handicrafts and tourism had traditionally supported the state’s economy. However, the prevailing situation had caused hardship, particularly for daily wage earners and people dependent on daily livelihoods.

Calling for collective efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector, Singh urged officials and field-level workers to discharge their responsibilities with dedication.

He also stressed the need to increase agricultural productivity by promoting double cropping. Pointing out that many farmers traditionally practise single-crop cultivation, leaving fields unused for nearly six months, he asked the Agriculture Department to work towards enabling a second crop across agricultural areas in the state. He also acknowledged the efforts of the Horticulture Department in this regard.

On organic farming, Singh said the Agriculture Department had undertaken organic cultivation across 400 hectares in the previous phase, with another 400 hectares targeted for the current year. He called for further promotion of organic farming to expand economic opportunities for farmers.

The Chief Minister emphasised that farmers involved in organic cultivation must receive better market access and remunerative prices, considering the additional time and effort required. He suggested establishing more dedicated outlets for organic products across the state to create a reliable market for locally produced goods and encourage more farmers to adopt organic cultivation.

During the programme, financial assistance and agricultural inputs were distributed to farmers and farmer groups under various schemes. These included ₹60,000 each for purchasing water pumps under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), ₹50,000 per unit for constructing vermicompost units under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), and ₹1 lakh each for installing mini oil mills under the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (NMEO-OS).

Mustard seeds and bee boxes were also distributed to farmer groups for the Rabi season under NMEO-OS, while pea and gram seeds were provided under the Pulse Mission. Subsidised knapsack sprayers were distributed under SMAM.

According to the release, 14,740 farmers in Manipur received financial assistance amounting to ₹2.95 crore on Friday.

The programme was attended by MLAs, dignitaries, senior Agriculture Department officials and farmers from different parts of the state.