Growers in the orange bowl of the Manipur-Tamenglong district will soon have a cold storage for their produce. This was announced by Horticulture and Soil Conservation minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar on Wednesday. The minister also announced 1,34 million rupees (18,000 euros) assistance to set up rural markets in Tamei and other suitable areas in the district along with 120.000 rupees (1,600 euros) assistance for a primary processing unit for the farmers.
According to The Telegraph India, the minister promised that the first instalment would be released before the Christmas.
Around 3,838 hectares of land are under orange cultivation in Manipur. Tamenglong produces 50 percent of the state's annual orange production of 10,000 to 11,000 metric tonne, spread across 50 villages of the district. However, due to the poor roads in the region, too many oranges harvested in the district could not reach their markets.