Imphal, Feb 7 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, on Saturday, chaired a high-level review meeting to assess measures for the state’s economic revival, with a focus on promoting the Integrated Farming System (IFS), officials said.

An official of the Chief Minister’s Office said that during the meeting at the Cabinet Hall of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Chief Minister Khemchand Singh instructed the concerned authorities to promote alternative crop cultivation along with allied activities in the hill districts.

The meeting also deliberated on the state’s potential for the export of agriculture and horticultural products, the official added.

According to the official, the meeting aimed to explore ways to boost the state’s economy through integrated farming practices, leveraging the state’s potential in agriculture and horticulture.

The Chief Minister’s directives are expected to give a fillip to the state’s economic revival efforts.

The review meeting was attended by Manipur Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel, Additional Chief Secretary Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Commissioner to Chief Minister N. Ashok Kumar, Horticulture and Soil Conservation Director K. Devdutta Sharma, and Agriculture Director Peter Salam, among others.

Meanwhile, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in his address to the state Assembly session said on Thursday that the promotion of organic Chak-Hao emerged as a notable success story.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed for the export of 20 metric tonnes of white Chak-hao rice to Japan for the first time.

First AGMARK certification for Chak-hao was also received, marking a significant milestone.

The Chak-hao is Manipur’s celebrated black scented rice, which is renowned for its mild, nutty flavour, distinctive aroma, and deep purple hue when cooked, attributed to its high anthocyanin content.

A staple in religious feasts and ceremonies, this rice earned a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2019 due to its unique qualities derived from Manipur’s pristine soil and environment.

However, traditional varieties face challenges such as low yields and tall plant height (above 150 cm), making them prone to lodging.

Governor Bhalla had said that under the Oil Palm Development Programme, a fresh MoU was signed to undertake oil palm plantations over 2,700 hectare during 2025-26.

Land covering 1,200 hectares has been identified with plantations completed in 402 hectare.

As part of the Digital Agriculture Mission, groundwork for the Digital Crop Survey began with a plan to cover 604 villages during Rabi season 2025-26, the Governor added.

Significant progress was achieved under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana-Per Drop More Crop, where 7,008 small and marginal farmers were supported through Direct Benefit Transfer for installation of 4,104 sprinkler irrigation systems.

Additionally, 2,904 farmers benefited from water harvesting and conveyance structures.

–IANS

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