Manipur witness annual Garlic festival in Ukhrul village

Imphal, March 31: Manipur on Thursday witnessed the 10th edition of district level colourful Garlic festival popularly known as Shuri Kaso Phanit in local tongue at the picturesque Talui village ground in the hill district of Ukhrul.

The day long festival was organised under the aegis of Talui Kharngarum SHG(Self Help Group) Federation, to showcase and promote the unique taste of the medium size garlic produced in Talui, a hill village located about 110 km north east of Imphal.

The Talui village has two varieties of garlic - red and white, which grows from August to October and harvested in March.

Displaying their garlic bulb arranged in varied shapes, altogether 14 stalls represented by different SHGs participated in the Garlic festival cum sale.

Locals when contacted said around 8000 kilogram of Garlic produced in the village was sold off at the rate of Rs 200 per kilogram within one hour during the festival.

Unlike the past, the production level of garlic in Talui village has been reduced up to some extent due to the changing rain pattern during its plantation season.

This year the yield of garlic has dropped by about 20 per cent, according to chairperson RK Ningchim of Kharngarum SHG Federation of Talui village. The volume of garlic production which exceeded 10,000 kilograms in 2022, has come down to just 8,000 kilograms this year. 

With sales of only 300 kg in the beginning, the Talui Kharngarum SHG Federation initiated the garlic festival to promote the quality of garlic produced in the village in 2010.

District horticulture & soil conservation officer Kh Manorama of government of Manipur and Programme Coordinator Dr Solei Luiram of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Ukhrul and Headman S Akhui of Talui village were present during the formal inauguration of the garlic festival.