However, only 17 per cent of this has been cultivated. Agriculture director (crop husbandry) Dr C Lalzarliana, giving a technical report at the Farmers' Meet here today, informed that of the 74,644 hectares of potential wetland only 12,699 hectares have been cultivated. "In 2011, which was declared by the Mizoram government as year of bumper rice harvest, 209 more hectares of land were cultivated under WRC-I, increasing the state's rice produce by 4061 metric tonnes, which was a 19.61 per cent increase," the official said.
Under WRC-II rice was cultivated in 360 hectares of land and 540 metric tonnes of rice was yielded, he said. The function, graced by chief minister Lal Thanhawla as chief guest, saw distribution of prizes to best performing districts and farmers in regards to the bumper rice harvest year. Serchhip was declared 'best performing district', followed by Aizawl district and Mamit district.
They were awarded Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000 and certificates.
Farmers Award carrying Rs 20,000 and certificate was awarded to nine farmers and 456 other farmers received district level awards. Lal Thanhawla said as a result of the declaration of bumper rice harvest year, the area of jhum cultivation declined by 9.57 per cent while rice produce went up by 10.05 per cent. "The proposed railway extension from Bairabi to Sairang basically aimed to facilitate market for the state's agricultural produce. The railway will be extended to Lawngtlai in southern Mizoram in the future," he said.
He said farming the noblest occupation in the world and is the backbone of the state's economy. Agriculture minister H Liansailova, who also spoke at the function, said that the significant decline in jhum cultivation was one of the indicators of Mizoram's success in its farming policy.
He mentioned the declaration of Mizoram as 'Most Improved State' among small states in India Today's state of states survey. As many as 632 farmers from across the state attended the function.