Chin State Agriculture Dept distributes 15,000 visses of elephant foot yam seeds

March 14

 

THE Chin State Department of Agriculture supplied 15,000 visses of elephant foot yam seeds to the growers in the state.

 

“The department has been implementing a three-year project to increase the production of elephant foot yam between 2020-2021 and 2022-2023 financial years, with a view to enhancing the livelihood and reducing the poverty. “Out of 130 yam species, white, red and yellow yams are primarily grown. The department has distributed the yam seeds to the growers for the current season,” U Aung Myo Oo, director of the department quoted in his sayings.

 

Under the three-year project, 3,000 visses of yam seeds were delivered in Haka District, 10,000 in Falam District, and 2,000 in Matupi District during the 2021-2022 season, totalling 15,000 visses.

 

Last season, the department provided 9,829 visses of yam seeds in Haka District, 20,733 in Falam District, 3,920 in Matupi District and 7,940 in Mindat District, accumulating 42,423 visses. The elephant food yam is a native plant in Chin State. Nevertheless, the growing number of diggers caused scarcity of yam varieties. In a bid to generate annual income for the small skills growers, end shifting cultivation and adopt sedentary farming, this three year project from 2020-2021 to 2022-2023 is being undertaken.—Lu Lay/GNLM