Agri-Business and Manipur
Manipur Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium entered
Manipur Scenario on 18 Sept.2000 under Regd.No.138
/M/SR/2000 (Manipur
Societies Registration Act.,1989). There has been a good public support
for Manipur SFAC. Our participation in Krishi Expo Feb-March 2001 &
2002, and in AHARA 2001 held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi with exhibits
of primary & processed food products like Squashes of Pineapple,
Orange, Lemon; and Jam, Jelly of Pineapple, canned Bamboo Shoots, Black
Scented Rice, Giant Chilly (Local, U-Morok) and Reed Mat (Kouna Phak)
have invited a huge inland and export demand. The demand is huge. Re-setting
and re-organisation of the existing production capacity have become
a priority.
Inspite of its small size, Manipur can meet this priority by virtue of its mega diversity of climate and soil packed in a small capsule of 22,327 sq. km area. Lying between latitudes 23º 50’ N & 25º 41’ N, Manipur is in the middle of the entire North Eastern Region (22º N to 29º N latitudes). Imphal, is the capital city lying at almost the same latitude of Delhi, Kanpur and Patna; its temperature never rises beyond 39º C as against 45º C of these big cities in summer due to its high altitude ranging from 833 metre above MSL to 3017 metres above MSL. The rainfall ranges from 982 mm to 1981 mm with an average of 1432 mm. Fifteen major rivers drench this highland landing in two big river systems i.e the Irrawadi system of Myanmar and the Brahmaputra system of India. Nine rivers feed the entire 2/3 of the State in the eastern & northern parts of Manipur, while the other six feed the western & northern parts. The river network of the state is typical. The Imphal & the Nambul running along the elevated embankment cause flash flood. Other rivers which run at lower level drains out this highland making it high and dry during the entire winter season. The State has four major climatic zones i.e. ‘Tropical climate’ including valley, 900 m MSL, rainfall ranging 157.48 cm to 396.246 cm; ‘Montane sub-tropical climate’, between 900 to 1,800 m above MSL, rainfall 220 cm; ‘Montane Temperate’ between 1800 m to 2400 m above MSL with high rainfall and mean minimum temperature of 3ºC; and ‘Sub-alpine climate’ above 2400 m above MSL. The State is surrounded by Myanmar on the East, Nagaland on the North, Mizoram on the South, and Assam on the West. The whole landmass being inclined north south, almost all the major rivers run southwards. The small valley having an area of 1/10 of the State has a water body of 39,286 ha. including the biggest fresh water lake of eastern India called Loktak Lake (21,672 ha).
The
first exposure of SFAC in Manipur was made on 16 May, 2002 at
Hotel
Excellency Imphal with a Seminar on "Role of SFAC in catalysing
Agro-Industrial Growth in Manipur" The function was graced by Hon’ble
Chief Minister Manipur, Shri.O.Ibobi Singh; Hon’ble Minster for Hort.&
SC, Manipur Shri. R.K.Theko; and Managing Director SFAC, New Delhi Shri.Sudhir
Kumar IAS, as the Chief Guest, President and Guest of Honour
respectively.About 130 participants from amongst the NGOs, Entrepreneurs
and SHGs attended the Seminar of the day. Resource persons from the APEDA, MU, ICAR, Deptt.of Agriculture, Manipur and Experts from private
Sectors supported the Seminar.
Manipur SFAC has been
giving its focus on making awareness and creating interest by conducting
Entrepreneurship Development Programmes as its stepping stones since
its beginning in Manipur. The first training on EDP (
2 - 8 Sept.,2002)
for s
even days on Food Processing and Marketing under the auspicious
of SFAC, New Delhi was imparted to 27 Entrepreneurs of IE & IW Districts
followed by the second EDP (10-17 Sept..2002) with 26 Entrepreneurs
in Thoubal District at Youth Centre, Thoubal. Experts from ICM, Imphal,
CAU Imphal, NHB, Guwahati, APEDA, Guwahati, NERAMAC, Guwahati, SFAC,
Guwahati, Deptt.of Food Processing & Industry, and Deptt.of Hort.&
SC, Manipur were the resource persons. Such weekly training
programme being found more operational in Manipur other Districts
will also be covered in the same way phase by
The
base level is quite encouraging. M/s Shiho Spices at Imphal and M/s
Kanglei Agro Business Services (Kabs) are existing private
Entrepreneurs, already in job. M/s Shiho Spices is the producer of Pure
Gold brand since 2001 with the financial assistance of NEDFI Guwahati.
M/s Kanglei Agro Business Services is the marketing Agent sponsored
by Manipur SFAC selling Shiho Products to the neighbouring states of
the North East, Siliguri and some parts of Orissa. Manipur SFAC is looking
forward to further linkages with the Export House.
The
loose skin orange (Khasi Mandarin) and local Banana (Poovan Group)
being mor
e eco-friendly than
other fruit crops, the Consortium has picked them up in the list of
naturally sustainable marketing items, and the Consortium has been
organising annual Orange festival at District HQ of Tamenglong on 15
Dec. regularly since (2001& 2002) as annual feature. Production of
this fruit is being made more sustainable by improving the
cultivation method towards production for conservation tied-up with
the Department of Horticulture & Soil Conservation. Inadequate Road
communication is the biggest constraint in marketing, which directly
checks production.
Manipur SFAC is extending
its activities in the field of Dairying and Animal Husbandary in Thoubal
District. Starting with Macrocosm Youth Development Organisation (MYDO),Tentha
of Thoubal District, a Workshop cum Training Programme on “Integrated
Livestock Farming for Socio Economic Development in Manipur” was sponsored
on 19 Sept.2002, with Resource persons from CAU Imphal, and Deptt.of
Vety. and Animal Husbandary, Manipur.The training programme was attended
by 57 farmers.
The
Consorti
um is sup
porting market of the following goods viz.
processed food products of Pineapple, Orange, Lemon; Spices like
Giant Chilly (Local U- Morok), Birds Eye Chilly; Cinnamom, Ginger, Turmeric; and
Black Scented Rice. Varieties of Mats and other utilities and art pieces
made out of a Reed locally known as KOUNA (scirpus lacustries)
; canned bamboo shoots, and other handicraft items of Bamboo and Canes
are agro-based products of high demand. Exotic Passiflora, Medicinal
Plants & Herbs, multiplication of rare varieties of local Orchids by
Tissue Culture and hybridization; Black Pepper and Large Cardamom
and Vanilla are the innovations to be adopted for a competitive
market.
In the field of
floriculture, Art pieces of dried flower, including roses have
surfaced in the
market out of many other flower cultures like
Bonsai, House plants, Cut-Flowers etc. MSFAC is landing on this
area, and has sponsored an exhibition on Floriculture for 15 days at
BT Park Imphal from 1-14 Nov. 2002 in favour of “All Manipur Flower
and Bonsai Growers Association.” In view of its agro-climatic suitability
opening a scope for expansion and employment, Manipur SFAC is looking
forward to make it marketable.
Against the backdrop of national
objective of converting the conventional weak ar
eas in agriculture
into new strength, Manipur SFAC finds the hill regions of Manipur a
good place for starting Organic Farming. To begin with, a two day
“Exhibition-Cum-Workshop on Vermiculture“ was sponsored by Manipur
SFAC in favour of Senapati District Development
Council (SDDC) on 23 & 24 Jan.2003. Resource persons from ICAR,
CAU and experts from NGOs attended the Workshop in which about 55 farmers
participated.
Shitake
Mushroom, (original Japan) is c
oming up in a cultural way by the
Senapati District
Women Development Organisation. They have been trained
in 
this technology in Japan. Being exotic and glamorous there is likelihood
of its becoming invasive to the ecosystem as the growing medium is the
most-used fuel wood known locally as Sahii (castanopsis species) in
Manipuri. Therefore, it is not early to start an R&D support system
to innovate an alternative growing medium. Shitake being very highly
seasonal, monocropped, once in a year, there is a long period of off-season.
This void can be filled up by economically viable short duration highly
nutritious white mushrooms like Pleurotous and Agaricus species.
On the other hand as the white Mushrooms grow on agricultural waste
like paddy straw a farmer can supplement his income in the inland market
while working on Shitake for Foreign Exchange. In order to make assured
local supply of quality seed spawn of Shitake and other white Mushrooms,
the Central Mother Unit (CMU) concept of Netherlands may be adopted
in Manipur. Since ICAR and Manipur Tribal Development Corporation (MTDC)
are working effectively on spawn production, they may be financed
for quality spawn production with an exclusive funding for R&D
support under the umbrella of SFAC.
Manipur SFAC has identified
an NGO, Destitute Women Upliftment Society, Imphal (DWUS)
working on
Spices like Ginger, Turmeric, U-Morok (local Giant Chilly),Black Pepper
under the Spices Board of India. The
Organisation has been working on organic farming like vermiculture and
composting for the last 4 years towards an objective of production of
chemical-free Spices. DWUS is setting up a Ginger Processing Unit funded
by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Spices Board of India and SIDBI. Processing
of Ginger Candy, Ginger Paste, Crystaline Ginger; and Dehydrated Pineapple
Chunk are the main activities. To enhance the expansion of hinterland
to feed this unit Manipur SFAC has dovetailed their activities specially
in the field of identification of growers, and to undertake knowledge
capital formation in a joint venture. Accordingly SFAC has facilitated
two awareness programmes of such nature in Thoubal District tied up
with the Deptt.of Hort.& SC for improving the cultural practices
of production for conservation.
Manipur
SFAC steps in Tissue Culture area also. The Agricultural Development
Organisation (ADO) is one already in the technology with 32 members,
six of them already trained in Ti
ssue Culture. The inside story is that
they have already formed an organisation but unable to see the light
at the end of tunnel. Manipur SFAC has facilitated 15 memers of the
ADO to participate in the Entrepreneurship Development Programme and
Agripreneur Training programme conducted at ICM, Imphal. MSFAC tie them
up with Financial Institutes (SBI, Imphal & NHB Guwahati) and set
up a Tissue Culture Lab. An inaugural function-cum-Workshop exclusively
for Tissue culture was sponsored on 28 Feb. 2003 by inviting experts
from MU, Canchipur, CAU Iroisemba and experts from academic institutions.
The Lab will begin with production of tissue cultured planting materials
of Medicinal plants like Safed Musli (chlorophytum bolyvianum),
Pseudoginseng;
Vanilla (vanilla planifolia), Hatkora (citrus macroptera) locally known
as Heiribob and Orchids.