One day seminar on ‘yongchak’ and agar plantation held in Manipur

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Aug. 17 (EMN): Manipur Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar opined that Agar wood (aquilaria agallocha) plantation with scientific inputs from experts can help in controlling the jhum cultivation in Manipur as it can provides another source of livelihood for the farmers.
Minister Shyamkumar was speaking at the inaugural function of Forest department sponsored one day state level seminar on management of yongchak (parkia timoriana) and agar plantation in Imphal on Aug. 17.

More than one lakh families are said to be involved in Jhum cultivation in Manipur, according to reports.
Minister Shyamkumar who also hold the urban development portfolio opined that the yongchak and agar tree plantation will surely help in environmental conservation. He appealed the people to attend seminars and workshops so that there is public awareness on such fields with the suggestions and knowledge shared by the experts besides spreading more awareness.

Unfortunately Yongchak or tree bean, a popular delicacy with unique flavour in Manipur, is declining due to certain diseases since the past few years as a result of which it has been importing from the neighbouring countries due to high demand.

The scientists and scholars from different institutes, NGOs, progressive farmers attending the seminar also shared their experiences and traditional knowledge to reduce the mortality of the yongchak.

Principal scientist Dr H Birkumar of CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Branch Lamphelpat participating in the discussion suggested to document the experiences of the farmers for better research.

Meanwhile a senior scientist Dr RK Borah of Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat who conducted a study on the decline of Yongchak in Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland said that the decline of tree bean in these states is because of “complex disease”. They detected insects (long horn beetle and shot hole borer) and fungi which are the major factor for decline of tree beans, the scientist claimed. “Now we’ve certain scientific measures for it,” he added.

In his presentation on agar tree plantation, the RFRI scientist said around 15 million agarwood trees belonging to two different species out of 17 species in the world, grows in India.The maximum agar trees among NE states grows in Assam followed by Tripura. Wild agar wood trees also grows in Manipur’s Jiribam and Noney areas, he added.