States » EastPosted at: Oct 30 2026 10:32PM


CM Khemchand pushes double cropping, organic farming to revive Manipur’s economy

Imphal, Oct 30 (UNI) Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has called for a major push to agriculture, double cropping and organic farming, identifying the sector as a key driver in reviving the state's economy, which has suffered from the prolonged crisis.
Addressing the PM Kisan Utsav Diwas programme at the Manipur State Film Development Society in Imphal today, the Chief Minister said agriculture remained one of the strongest pillars of the state’s economy and could play a crucial role in restoring economic activities and generating income.
The programme was organised in connection with the release of the 24th instalment of the PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Gujarat.
Under the instalment, covering August to November 2026, the Prime Minister released more than Rs 18,690 crore to over 9.34 crore farmers across the country.
He also dedicated 521 units developed under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and inaugurated 12 horticulture clusters.
Highlighting the impact of the crisis on Manipur’s economy, Khemchand Singh said several sectors, including agriculture, horticulture, handloom, handicrafts and tourism, had contributed to the state's economy before the crisis.
Revenue sources, including GST collections, had also been adversely affected, while daily wage earners and people dependent on daily livelihoods continued to face considerable hardships.
He stressed that strengthening agriculture would require commitment and dedicated efforts from departmental officials as well as those working directly in the fields.
The Chief Minister urged the Agriculture Department to make double cropping possible across agricultural areas, pointing out that farmers in many parts of Manipur traditionally practised only one crop a year, leaving fields unused for nearly six months.
He said better utilisation of agricultural land through double cropping could increase productivity and improve farmers' income.
He also acknowledged initiatives being undertaken by the Horticulture Department.
On organic farming, he said the department had covered 400 hectares during the previous phase and had set another target of 400 hectares for the current year.
He called for expanding organic cultivation, but emphasised that farmers must receive better market access and remunerative prices in view of the additional time, effort and care involved.
Observing a growing demand for organic products among middle- and upper-income consumers, he suggested establishing more dedicated outlets for organic produce across the state.
Such outlets, he said, could provide a reliable market for locally grown products, encourage farmers to adopt organic cultivation and generate additional revenue.
During the programme, 14,740 farmers in Manipur received financial assistance amounting to Rs 2.95 crore under PM-KISAN.
Benefits were also distributed to farmers and farmer groups under various agricultural schemes. These included Rs 60,000 per beneficiary for purchasing water pumps under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Rs 50,000 per unit for constructing vermicompost units under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), and Rs 1 lakh each for installing mini oil mills under the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oilseeds (NMEO-OS).
Mustard seeds and bee boxes were distributed to farmer groups for the Rabi season under NMEO-OS, while pea and gram seeds were provided under the Pulse Mission.
Subsidised knapsack sprayers were also distributed under SMAM. The programme was attended by MLAs, dignitaries, senior Agriculture Department officials and farmers from different parts of the state.
UNI NS RN
Tags: #CM Khemchand pushes double cropping# organic farming to revive Manipur’s economy
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