Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 06 2021: The Green Foundation and Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) distributed biofertilizer and biopesticide to farmers engaged in organic farming in Imphal East and West districts today.
The items were distributed under the sponsorship of Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Easter Region (MOVCDNER) at a programme held at the office of the Green Foundation at Kwakeithel Awang Thiyam Leikai.
Speaking at the programme, former Dean of Central Agricultural University, Prof N Iboton said the organic inputs that were distributed to the farmers today were all silicon based biofertilizers and they were provided with the intention of saving the environment as well as for the well being of society as chemical based fertilizers and pesticides are very harmful to the environment and human body.
The silicon based biofertilizer is made by mixing the charred remains of completely burnt rice husk with a bacteria called 'Azospirillum' and is meant to be used in paddy fields, he added.
Using Azospirillum biofertilizer increases the rice plants' ability to absorb Nitrogen present in air and also prevent 'blast' disease amongst rice plants.
Prof N Iboton added that such biofertilizers are very easy to use and the need for sprayer also doesn't arise as the same can be dispersed on field directly by hand.
The biopesticides that were distributed today were researched, developed and manufactured by Sinsang Organic Input Lab (SOIL) which is a division of The Green Foundation.
S Radhapyari, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture, who is also the State Nodal Officer of MOVCDNER, said MOVCDNER started functioning in North Easter States in 2016.She added that under the various initiatives taken up under MOVCDNER, the State has been able to cultivate and produce Chaak-Hao (Black Rice), maize and other High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of rice organically.
The Green Foundation, which is working as a service provider under MOVCDNER, will be able to provide much needed information and services to the farmers under the supervision of Prof N Iboton, she added.
Speaking at the programme, Urikhinbam Himmat, chief executive officer, of The Green Foundation, said the foundation will compensate any farmers if their produce show any decline after following the organic farming procedures provided the farmers are registered under the foundation as Farmers Interest Group (FIG) .