Training on protected cultivation underway at CIH
Dimapur, July 3 (MExN): A four day training programme for farmers on ‘Protected Cultivation’ got underway on Friday, July 3, at the Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Medziphema. The programme is being organised by the CIH in collaboration with the department of Horticulture, Nagaland Horticulture Training Centre (HTC), Pune. Resource person Rajendra Deshmukh, from the renowned HTC, will be giving valuable inputs to the participants during the programme.
Dr. Akali Sema, Director of CIH, while chairing the inaugural function, requested the participants to take full advantage of the inputs given by the resource persons. Informing that the government was putting lots of effort into the horticulture sector, she requested the participants to be sincerely involved and also attend the full four days’ training without fail.
Chief guest Joseph Humtsoe, Joint Director at the Department of Horticulture, said that the advantage of protected cultivation over traditional farming is that crops can be grown at all seasons if such a system is adopted. Building protective housing for the plants may be a little expensive, however, the returns will be very high, he said. Humtsoe further said that farmers can make use of locally available materials such as bamboo to construct the protective housings. He also wished all the participants success in their ventures.
Ethel Ngullie, Technical Consultant at CIH, while speaking about the training programme, informed that as part of the CIH Action Plan (2008-09) the institute had earlier conducted such training programmes on banana cultivation in the state, and on cashew cultivation in Assam, which were great successes. “Conventional horticulture has taken a back seat” nowadays, she said. Adopting “contingency agriculture like protective agriculture”, she informed, would “combat unprecedented changes in weather”, and pointed out that “protective cultivation is one of the most viable options” available with great economic returns that can revive horticulture industry in the state.
