Manipur: Kharif Activity Apace, ‘Farming Safety Zone’ Marked

Kolkata: The administration under President’s Rule in ethnic strife-scarred Manipur has ultimately paid heed to strongly advocated demands from Meitei civil society organisations (CSOs) for a dedicated security mechanism to facilitate full-scale resumption of kharif farming activity to save farmers from further distress.

A major initiative for the ‘farming safety zone’ followed a high-level meeting on June 28, and an arrangement for review and response at short intervals is functional since then.

The Meitei CSOs, at their meeting with officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in New Delhi on June 30, had explained in detail how badly agriculture in Manipur had suffered since the outbreak of widespread ethnic violence on the issue of ST (Scheduled Tribe) status for the Meiteis on May 3, 2023. Contributing to the almost total disruption since then was the massive displacement of people from their hearth and home, who were in phases lodged in relief camps.

In the memorandum on the disruption in farming activity the CSOs submitted to MHA officials, instead of giving estimates of production in 2023 and 2024 and thereby indicating how the North Eastern state had suffered, they gave details of paddy growing areas that could not be cultivated and how much the  yield would have been under normal situation. The details given clearly suggest that usual post-harvest care in fields, due after 2022 farming activity and commencement of the drill for 2023 farming season, were also casualties.

The details cover the paddy growing areas in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Kakching and Thoubal districts. The areas severely affected added up to 9,720 hectares (ha) and projected paddy production for 2023 added up to 32,263.76 tonnes. For 2024, the respective figures, as submitted, were 7,084 plus ha and 24,557 plus tonnes. For 2025, CSOs have pointed out that the fields where cultivation could not start measured 7,290 plus ha.

The number of villages shown as badly affected this year so far is: 20 in Imphal East, 11 in Imphal West, one in Thoubal, four in Kakching and over 20 in Bishnupur. These details are based on a field survey, the signatories on behalf of CSOs have affirmed. The signatories are Khuraijam Athouba, convener of the Coordnation Committee on Manipur Integrity, B M Yaima Shah, president of Federation of Civil Societies and Pratap Leishangthem, secretary-general of All Manipur United Clubs Organisation.

After briefing the MHA and IB officials on how farming, the mainstay of over 50% of the state’s workforce, has come to a halt and why its revival initiative brooks no delay, the CSO delegation demanded that the entire valley agrarian belt, specially along the foothills and canal zones, be declared as ‘farmer safety zone’ and shoot-at-sight orders be notified to deal with armed intrusions by undesirable elements.

Let the current farm season mark the resumption of serious efforts to re-engage farmers in the fields. Farmers must be able to carry out their activity in the paddy fields up to their traditional foothill boundaries without fear or obstruction, the memo said.

A fortified permanent security outpost should be set up at the High Canal region to act as a deterrent and a protective buffer for nearby farmlands. Two-three additional companies should be deployed for mobile patrolling, while retaining all static posts for 24x7 surveillance, they emphasised.  

“Failure to address these demands, raised after careful study and spot visits will not only prove ruinous for the farming fraternity and the state’s economy but also deepen public mistrust in Manipur’s elaborate security apparatus”, informed quarters told NewsClick.

Asked whether the CSOs that petitioned the MHA and IB team on June 30 were satisfied with the administration’s response, the sources said the action taken was visible and farmers seemed to be slowly regaining confidence. But, the fact remains that “all extra arrangements have expiry dates” and, therefore, the answer lies in sustained normalcy in the state.

The annual administrative report for 2022-23 records that in kharif 2022 season 1,95,00 ha was cultivated for the main paddy crop and the state had a clean rice production of 5,69,400 tonnes. Including pre-kharif, paddy was cultivated in 2,19,100 ha, from which the total output was estimated at 6,43,300 tonnes. Productivity at 2,940 kg a ha exceeded the national average of 2,700 kg per ha.

The distinction of being the highest rice producer goes to Thoubal district. Next in ranking comes Senapati district. The lowest producer is Ukhrul district. Agricultural practices in Manipur traditionally have been broadly of two distinct types – settled (permanent) farming practiced in the plains, valleys, foothills and terraced slopes and secondly, shifting cultivation (Jhum) practiced on the hill slopes.

For the record:  Even in the highly unsettled conditions that this small North Eastern state has been passing through for over two years, it has had a breakthrough in black rice production; thanks to the scientists at the Manipur centre of ICAR Research Complex for the North-Eastern Hill region.

In early June, Governor Ajay Bhalla had launched RC Manichakhao 1, the first high-yielding variety of black rice (Chakhao). ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research) scientists consider this as a breakthrough as aromatic Chakhao had secured GI (geographical indication) status in 2019 and cultivation of HYV Manichakhao 1 would help farmers raise productivity and enhance their income.

According to published reports, attributed to Manipur’s Organic Mission Agency, Chakhao has good export potential and several markets in Europe have been tapped. But, the outbreak of ethnic violence instantly disrupted supply chains for Chakhao, turmeric and ‘king’ chilli. The state’s horticulture department had estimated an export loss of Rs 102 crore in just three months, May-July of 2023.  

The writer is senior freelance journalist based in Kolkata.