The Indigenous People's Association of Kangleipak (IPAK) Manipur has demanded the state government to formulate agricultural policy to increase farm yield during the pandemic.
A release signed by IPAK secretary general, Leishangthem Romen Meitei stated that owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and curfew imposed to control the disease, farmers are facing immense challenges to carry out agricultural activities.
Without proper agricultural productivity, the state will undergo food scarcity in the coming days, IPAK stated.
The state government should formulate feasible agricultural policies which can be implemented during this pandemic. Besides, the farmers should be allowed for free movement when they come out for agricultural works, it added.
It further said that as the state is already hit hard socially and economically, is high time for the concerned departments such as agriculture and horticulture to start taking initiatives in improving the primary source of income.
The concerned department should stop just concentrating on table work and rather focus on working in the field by visiting and helping the farmers directly. Such initiatives would help to bring tremendous change in the agricultural sector of the state, it added while appealing to the state government to formulate concrete agricultural policy at the earliest.