Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 20 (EMN): As part of the two-day 15th state level pineapple festival, the 75 Years of Pineapple Cultivation was celebrated at Bunglon village, 45 km south of Imphal in Churachandpur district on Friday.
The main highlights of the two-day celebration included honouring the pineapple growers, holding seminar on pineapple farming and pineapple exhibitions besides beauty contest to popularise the pineapple farming.
The Tribal Affairs & Hills, Horticulture & Soil Conservation minister Letpao Haokip and Health & Family welfare minister Dr S Ranjan Singh led the seven members ministerial delegation who drove down to the tiny hill village on Friday to inaugurate the two celebration cum festival held under the aegis of Manipur Pineapple Festival Committee (MPFC).
Addressing the inaugural function, Horticulture Minister Letpao Haokip said, ‘we have a fertile land which can grow varieties of plants and vegetables. One can generate income by offering cultivation as a profession instead of preferring white collar job. The vast areas covered by hills can be used as an economic booster if we have the right concept of cultivation.’
He also assured that a cold storage of 5 metric ton will be installed at Khousabung and Bunglon villages area in Churachandpur district while another 200 metric ton cold storage with 5MT of pre-cooling will be installed at vaison besides 10 metric ton staging Cold room will also be installed at Khousabung.
The celebration this time is remarkable and historic as (Late) Pu Songpu Gangte first planted about 40 kew variety pineapple plants in Khousabung area in 1947 and later he was joined by some of the energetic farmers of the village, according to Secretary Gin Gangte of the MPFC. Now we have about 500 pineapple growers in Khousabung and Bunglon areas, he said.
Two varieties of pineapple-kew and Queen grows in Manipur’s nine districts. The kew variety of pineapple grows in Khousabung area in Churachandpur district while the Queen mostly in Imphal East and Thoubal districts.
A pineapple grower in Khousabung area can produce 35,000 to 38,000 pineapple fruits from one hectare of land weighing around 1kg to 3kg per pinapple.
Alex Soikholun Gangte, a pineapple grower in Bunglon village couldn’t take part in the ongoing pineapple festival as his small family had already sold out pineapple worth INR 10,000 this season. The remaining fruits (pineapple) in our small farm are not ripe enough, Alex Soikholun’s wife said.