Make Orange Fest more meaningful : Promote the orange
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: December 08 2017 -

Promises galore. Rs 50 lakh assured for setting up a Cold Storage, Rs 13.75 lakh assistance for setting up rural markets in Tamei and other suitable areas in Tamenglong district, Rs 12 lakh assistance for primary processing unit for the farmers.

This was how the 14th State Level Orange Festival kicked off at Tamenglong district headquarters on December 6 and obviously the question is how successful has the Orange Festival been in promoting the fruit across the North East region or more importantly how successfully has Tamenglong reaped the fruits of its orange or more particularly from the Orange Festival ?

How successful has the festival been in hardselling the orange to the outside world ? Or do the oranges of Tamenglong come to the consciousness of the people only during the period of the Orange Festival ?

These are questions which should have been raised a long time back, for ultimately the primary objective should be to tell the world or at least the North East region of the succulent taste of the oranges found only in Tamenglong district and nowhere else in the world.

Time to take stock of the situation and explore ways on how to make orange farming in Tamenglong district a commercially viable option. How many actually see orange farming in Tamenglong a good option as an earning avenue ?

The assurance of setting up a cold storage at Tamenglong district sounds good, but it is important to ensure that the assurance does not begin and end at the stage of verbal assurance.

Moreover is Rs 50 lakh a viable sum for setting up a cold storage in the hill district ?

How about marketing ? How does the State Government hope to capture markets for the Tamenglong oranges ?

These are questions, but important questions to make the annual Orange Festival meaningful.

And when one talks about commercialising the orange product of Tamenglong, then a lot will depend on road communication.

How well connected is Tamenglong with the rest of the State ?

Are there any other routes which may be explored so that Tamenglong can have access to the shortest possible route to the market ?

Most backward district has for long been the tag of Tamenglong and it is here that serious thoughts need to be given on how to neutralise such a tag.

And when one says most backward district in a State like Manipur, the real situation can only be imagined.

The festival is underway and to make it more meaningful the Government and all concerned need to do more.

How is the power situation like in this hill district ?

Has it improved as it has in other parts of the State ?

Transportation, power supply, water supply, roads etc all go together to promote the product of a place and it is these parameters that need to be addressed to on a priority basis.

Where does Tamenglong stand when viewed against the parameters just spelt out ?

The people of Tamenglong too need to extend all the needed co-operation to the Government in implementing development projects at the district headquarters and adjoining villages.

Time to make the annual Orange Festival more meaningful.