Unofficial claim of developing high yield rice in Manipur illegal: Experts

IMPHAL, April 23: The director of research, central agriculture university, M Rohinikumar Singh, and the district agriculture officer, Chandel, O Nobo Singh, raised strong objection to the claim and subsequent publication in focal media, that a new high yielding strain of rice paddy has been developed by an individual. While not ruling out the possibilities that such a rice strain has been developed, the two experts said the manner in which it was announced was not legal as it can mislead people. They said this is a serious matter and can have grave consequences on the state if the claims are not correct but has managed to entice farmers into using the seed. The reduction of just one or two rice grains per paddy plant can mean a drastic drop in the total production of the state and hence these announcements have to be made only after the Central Seed Sub-Committee, Manipur, has tested and verified the claim. The man who has claimed to have successfully developed the strain, A Joykumar Singh, director Bio-Research-cum Extension Services; Mongsangei, should have submitted his recommendations to the committee first before going public. Because the consequences of such claims can have extremely grave implications on the entire population of the state, the act is punishable under the law, the two officers said in a written complaint to the IFP. As far as the seeds claimed to have been used to develop the alleged new seed, Punshi, Phouoibi, Leimaphou and Akutphou, they were released by the state Variety Release Committee for general cultivation in Manipur valley and Punshi and Phouoibi have subsequently been notified by the Central government, they said. Further the variety, Joybari was a Joyponica rice introduced by the Late L Joychandra Singh, the then chief editor of the Manipuri vernacular, "Prajatantra", they said.