Orange of Jampui Hill: Nightmare to the farmers.

Orange of Jampui Hill, until ten years ago there used to be meaty talks by every one for Jampui orange. However, now-a-days, no much talks on the topic are heard. It is for the fact that orange of Jampui hill no longer matter most by the people due to absence in the market. There was a time; orange of Jampui hill would make different identity in a lot of many and, products also faces comparatively higher prices than that of others.

Orange of Jampui is in great crisis, production declined, orchards wiped out due disease like powdery Mildew. This ongoing crisis has completely devastated the people of Jampui which has taken hit in the bread and butter of the people.

Significance of orange in hill people:-

Jampui hill due to its geographical position is natural abode and home to many rare forest species and also cool climate. Orange has added extra beauty to the hill. In congruity with natural abode and climatic conditions, many tourist activities had come up around the Jampui hill. In earlier days, during orange season that is during harvesting time, orange festival arranged by the state department would attracts thousands of people in Jampui hill. But, now with decline of orange in the hill, every thing become stand still and there is no lively activities that Jampui hill once anchored.

Orange growing areas of Jampui hill:

   In Jampui hill, Vaisham, Hmanchuang, Tlakshi, Hmanpui, Vanghmun, Behlianchip, Subual and Phuldongsei were the main orange growing areas. Of these, Vanghmun, Behlianchip, Subual and Phuldongsei were the one time hub of Jampui orange.

     Orange orchards had come up in the sloppy hill of Jampui under the thick and dense vegetation. The growth of orange tree was profuse and bearing pattern was also very much satisfactory and encouraging.

    People used to say, because of heavy bearing, many orange stems breaks open and causing loss in next season. Such was the bearing so was the production. During my visit to Jampui hill, one elderly farmer was recollecting his golden harvest days as to how much be earned from his orange orchard.

    During the month of November and December, traders from Kanchanpur, Silchar would make huge business in Jampui hill produce orange farmers were also in happy for they earned lakhs of rupees from their orchards.

Decline of orange in Jampui hill:

     Now, it is might mare for the people of Jampui hill. Very few people are gathering for Jampui hill reason, orange orchards devastated, orange production declined to the lowest level and tourist activities fade off. This is the situation of Jampui hill in perspective of orange cultivation.

      In the year 2003, when I first visited Jampui hill especially in the areas of Hmanpui, Tlakshi and Vanghmun, I was curious to see the orange orchards of Jampui hill. However, my experience was really disheartening for orange orchards welcomed me with dried up and decaying orange trees. At some point of time, I took aerial view of the whole orchards; observation, whole orchard was left with few green orange trees.

       In the year, 2004 and 2005, I had again visited whole areas of Jampui hill covering all arrange growing areas, during that time, I observed that orange orchards of Tlakshi and Hmanpui had completely wiped out, similarly in Vanghmun and Behlianchip orange orchards were in decaying condition. Most of the orange trees were found decaying due to disease. 
   In my last visit to Jampui that in harvesting season, I did not find any significant activities in the hill because orange production by that time had come to the minuscule level.

    Some activities were seen only in the areas of Behlianchip, Subual and Phuldongsei where some orchards have survived from the onslaught of deadly powdery mildew disease.

Initiatives of state department:

The state department of Agriculture has started initiative to save the orange orchards of the Jampui hill. But, success in terms of recovery and re-generation were not in sign.
  The department had taken the help of the scientist from Nagpur and elsewhere but no sign of improvement. Deterioration of the orchards had further worsened and in due course many more orange orchards had been damaged by the deadly disease.

      The state department as and alternative has started new plantation in the Jampui. It is not sure whether these new plantation can revive the glory of the past.

Causes of decline of orange in Jampui hill:

There are several reasons for decline of orange in Jampui hill however, I am not the authority or I do not have specific data to elaborate the exact causes of decline of orange in the hill. But, from the media reports and voices of the people, the followings could be the reason of such massive decline:

1. Disease infection: - As discussed above, powdery mildew that infected the frown up orange trees had devastated the orange orchard of the Jampui hill.

Another disease, citrus canker had also reported to be inflicted the grown up orange orchards.

2. Deforestation and change of climatic condition: It was discussed that sudden depletion of forest cover of the Jampui hill had significantly impacted the climatic condition of the Jampui hill. So is conductive environment for orange orchards.

However, there is no empirical data to prove this but people who are closely associated with Jampui hill would say that temperature of the Jampui hill has increased significantly and this was presumed to be one of the factor that influenced negatively on orange orchards.

3. Aged plantation:- There is also another aspect people used to whisper that is, orange trees had become very old so is decline. Well, I personally do not know but I do believe that there is certain term for every thing after that there would be decline in terms of growth and production.

Now coming to the road map for reviving of orange orchards of Jampui hill is concerned, concerted approach with followings may bring new hopes to the people of Jampui hill:-

1. Taking care of surviving old plantation.
2. Approach for new plantation may continue.
3. Re-generation of forest covers.
4. Sensitization of the people to prevent possible spread of disease to the new plantation.