IMPHAL, October 17: World Food Day under the theme “Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition” was held at Conference Hall of the Director of Agriculture yesterday.
Th Gopen Meitei, Additional Secretary Agriculture, G Shamu Kabui, Director of Agriculture, and O Ibomcha Singh, Rice Breeder, Rice Research Station, Wangbal were the chief guest, president and guest of honour respectively.
Dr Thoithoi, program co-ordinator of Krish Vigan Kendra, mentioned that adequate knowledge about new methods for attaining surplus in food production should be acquired. At the same time, the farmers should be insightful on the negative and positive aspects of using hormones as a means of inducing growth in crops, especially paddy, he added. He explained that the plants of local origin are capable of producing vitamins on their own and do not need hormone injections which are hazardous to human health.
Ibomcha reminded that maintenance of proper nutrition in the soil is essential for better yield. Agriculture is dependent on the soil and regular testing to ascertain its status should be carried out, he added. He encouraged the practice of mixed farming and use of natural pesticides like phumdi as viable substitutes.
Gopen Meitei stressed the need for increasing food production and employing modern technology in order to achieve it. As agriculture is very significant to the state, outreach programmes for farmers to give them awareness on using pesticides and insecticides and modern technologies. This will help in preventing hunger in the world, he stated.
Shamu Kabui mentioned that agricultural land is shrinking day by day and forwarded the need for the department of agriculture to draft a policy to safeguard the cultivable fields.
Our Bishnupur correspondent adds: As observed in other parts of the world, People’s Resource Development Association (PRDA), Bishnupur today observed the World Food Day 2013 at its training hall in Bishnupur ward number 11.
The representatives of NGOs and village development committees of Bishnupur and Churchadpur district participated in the function in which L Suranjoy Singh, secretary of PRDA and L Joykumar Singh secretary of Human Rights Initiatives delivered lectures as resource persons.
The theme of the observance is to spread the information to practice new methods of cultivations and produce more productions to fulfil the foods needing with the growing population in this country, Sanjoy said in his speech.
