IT Desk
Watermelon farmers in the Kakching district say they were paid Rs. 8 per kg by Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA).
Some of the Watermelon farmers in Sugnu Assembly Constituency of Kakching district said that the second time when MOMA procured Watermelon from them they were paid only Rs. 8 per kg.
Some middle man hire trucks and took it by telling them they were supposed to buy the water melon at Rs. 10 however the Rs. 2 has been deducted for the transportation fee. Besides, those middle man procured only around 200 kg from each farmer, when the total stock remaining with each farmer is around 5000 kg per Sangam, a farmer produces around 500 kg of watermelon and the total expenditure spent is around Rs. 35,000 approximately.
“Now I will not sell Watermelon to MOMA as they didn’t buy all the products besides being paid just Rs. 8 per kg”, a frustrated farmer told Imphal Times.
When one logs on to the MOMA marketing application strawberries are not available at MOMA market application when there are dozens of strawberries farmers. The strawberry farmers are left with no means of selling it due to the restriction in movement imposed by the district administration for containment of the pandemic.
“Except giving it to some friends and relatives, the rest are wasted as we are helpless.
There are reports that the MOMA now procures only those vegetables and fruits that are in huge demand. The MOMA even procured Mango and other fruit from outside the state as there is great demand said an inside source.
After the launching of the MOMA App on May 11, Chief Minister N Biren Singh wrote: “I have learned about the hardships being faced by vegetable growers in different parts of Manipur through the media, wherein their produce is unable to reach the market due to the ongoing curfew in the State. To ensure the farmers could sell their produce, I have instructed Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) to procure the vegetables from these farmers. A team led by Project Director, MOMA had visited the fields of Kabowakching, Khuijuman, and Kwaksiphai and procured 4.7 MT of fresh vegetables. The vegetables have now been stored in the cold storage and the same will be home delivered to consumers through marketing agencies working with MOMA. I thank the media fraternity for highlighting the grievances of the public in these challenging times.”
But the way things are being implemented by MOMA is contrary to the vision of the Chief Minister.
Is the MOMA market system trying to malign the good image of Chief Minister N Biren Singh – a question asked by some farmers.
