The Central government has introduced a compensation package worth Rs 38.06 crore to assist farmers affected by ethnic violence in Manipur. This package is intended to provide relief for 5,127.08 hectares of agricultural land in areas severely impacted by the ongoing ethnic violence, which are deemed unlikely to be cultivated due to the present situation.
R K Dinesh, the state’s agriculture commissioner, disclosed that the estimated loss for these 5,127.08 hectares is calculated at Rs 38.06 crore. This calculation is based on the average crop yield in the affected districts over the past three years, taking into consideration areas where cultivation might not be possible.
A survey conducted by the farmers’ association ‘Loumee Shinmee Apunba Lup (LOUSAL)’ previously indicated that approximately 9,719 hectares of paddy fields in the Imphal valley could face crop failure. This is because farmers are reluctant to go to their fields due to sporadic firing by miscreants from the foothills. The agricultural sector in the state is expected to incur a significant loss of around Rs 226.50 crore this year, with rice production accounting for the highest loss at Rs 211.41 crore.
Among the five violence-affected valley districts—Bishnupur, Imphal East, Imphal West, Kakching, and Thoubal—Bishnupur is the most severely affected in terms of agricultural land area. Farmers in various villages in Bishnupur have been severely impacted, with some even sustaining bullet injuries.
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