Vegetable growers adversely affected due to corona lockdown in Imphal

Amid corona induced lockdown, vegetable growers of Imphal have been hit severely and are reeling under unprecedented anxiety on the unpredictable future of their occupation. The unease of the farmers primarily stems from the fact that local and state authorities have failed to encourage them or concretely streamline their daily agriculture-farming and allied activities during lockdown. They also fear that the availability of vegetables and food grains in the future might get affected adversely. The restrictions imposed on the movement of people and transportation have already caused a regression with difficulties in procuring fuel for ploughing tractors and short supply of farm machineries. Huge quantities of produce were wasted as there were no places to sell them. Prolonged enforcement of the lockdown, scarcity of water and transport will definitely upset the crop cycles especially in areas like Toubul, Khoijuman and Kwasiphai of Bishnupur district known for producing vegetable items that cater to almost 50 per cent the population of Manipur has lost 80 % of their production.