Our Correspondent
Imphal, April 17 (EMN): Well designed Integrated Farming System (IFS) based on the respective locations can play a key role in realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to double farmers’ income by 2022 in the North Eastern hill states.
“For successful implementation of the IFS in the region, we need quality seeds including climate resilient ones, planting materials, rain water harvesting etc,” says Prof. M Premjit, Vice Chancellor of Central Agricultural University (CAU) Iroishemba in Manipur.
“We’ve even submitted a research based strategies on implementation of IFS in NE hill states to the concerned authority.”
IFS is a farming practice meant for all-round development of agriculture with animal husbandry and other occupations related to core agricultural practices. IFS can be taken up with fishery and piggery along with rice cultivation or fishery with vegetable and rice based on the locations of the fields as it has the capability to make the sector profitable.
“But the government alone cannot provide quality seeds for successful implementation of IFS considering the lack of assured irrigation in region. Providing irrigation will take time. Even if irrigation facilities are provided in the valley, it would be a difficult in hills except the rainwater harvest (or spring water harvest),” Prof Premjit said.
Considering the demand of quality seeds, scientists of CAU in collaboration with the farmers have taken up some initiatives in Andro area and produced 150-170 metric tonnes of quality (paddy) seeds for supply purposes.
“It is appropriate to introduce in the region considering the existing small land holding systems. It is also suitable on the foothills too,” Prof Premjit added.
“CAU is also making some IFS models in our university’s land by making ponds etc. Our initiatives in collaboration with the farmers also taken up in Andro area and produced 150-170 metric tonnes of quality (paddy) seeds to supply,” he said.
Sharing a similar feeling, Prof. Ratan Kumar Saha, Director of Extension Education, admitted that IFS can be a major option to increase farmers’ income in the region if the farmers have the quality cultivation materials and other scientific methods. The university has seen many success stories in Tripura, where fish production increased from 108-686 per cent and rice production to the tune of 27 per cent.
Prof. Ratan Kumar also informed that IFS can help in reducing the jhum cultivation areas in the region as well considering its potentials. Manipur’s total jhum area is said to be around 1,22,147 ha in 2017, according to Manipur Remote Sensing Application Centre. About four lakh families practice jhum cultivation covering land area approximately 3,86,300 ha annually in the North East region.
In the recently concluded Indian Science Congress at Manipur University, UK Behera, Dean of College of Agriculture, CAU, Meghalaya, said IFS can be a powerful tool to double farmers’ income and improve their lives.
It may be mentioned that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at centre has set a target of doubling the farmers’ income by 2022.