Agriculture interaction programme held

The Sangai Express
March 08, 2013

An interaction session themed 'IASF (Intelligent Advisory System for Farmers) in Present Scenario of Agriculture in Manipur' organised by All Manipur Progressive Farmers' Association (AMPFA) under the sponsorship of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Mumbai was held today at the Association's Keishampat Junction office.

The interaction programme was attended by CDAC-IASF's principal investigator Y Ranjan and AMPFA president Joy Nongmaithem as the chief guest and president respectively.

As resource persons programme coordinator of CDAC-IASF Manipur Centre Kh Nimaichand deliberated on 'Input in IASF and its Operation', AAO, Agriculture Department L Sanatomba on 'Soil Health Management' and SMS KVK, Thoubal S surmangol on 'Prominent Rice Varieties in Manipur'.

According to Y Ranjan, CDAC a unit under the Ministry of Electronic & Technology, was specifically established to identify core problems faced by the farmers, conduct researches and find solution on agriculture-related issues.

Taking into account problems in conveying information about varied agricultural issues in an expeditious and cost-effective manner, CDAC was set up to facilitate the farmers get relevant information from subject experts through mobile phones or internet, said the coordinator

Ranjan also called upon the State farmers to adopt multiple cropping system with high yielding paddy varieties so as to generate more income and supplement the State's foodgrain stock.

On the otherhand, the resource persons in their presentation conveyed that experts of ICAR, Lamphelpat are working on a new paddy variety that could be harvested in 120 days.

Having produced the high yielding RCM-13 rice variety, ICAR is committed to revolutionise agriculture sector in Manipur by producing the latest variety to facilitate the farmers practice multiple cropping, they maintained.