The Manipur government is planning to provide cent per cent subsidy on loans and procurement of machineries to deserving farmers, chief minister N. Biren Singh said on Sunday.

A new policy for farmers’ welfare will also be announced soon, he added.

The chief minister was addressing a gathering at the agriculture equipments exhibition, where Rabi Campaign 2018 was launched, at Haotal, Pangei, in Imphal East. The event was organised by the state agriculture department and Manipur Farm Enterprise Pvt Ltd to help farmers increase their productivity and achieve higher yield of various crops during the rabi season.

“The rabi campaign will have a positive impact on Manipur’s economy. I will personally monitor the updates and improvement of the initiative every week,” he said.

The government, private agencies and farmers need to work collectively to increase the production of agricultural and allied products, he added.

“We need to discuss why Manipur is still lagging behind in various sectors compared to other states. The government is working tirelessly to uplift the lives of people and bring positive changes across the state. It is the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double farmers’ income by 2022. Such initiatives will definitely improve the economy of our state,” Biren Singh said.

Saying that around 36 per cent of Manipur’s population lives below the poverty level, the chief minister urged his officials to work with transparency and sincerity so that these people get the benefits of various government schemes.

Agriculture minister V. Hangkhanlian said there are around 2.34 lakh hectares of cultivable land in Manipur, a large portion of which remains unused. “We must find solutions for the optimal usage of such land,” he added.

The chief minister also inspected the machineries put on display for farmers at the exhibition.