Sanuzo Nienu formally declares the 5th Edition of the Cucumber Festival 2026 open at Aliba village under Mokokchung district on May 7. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Aliba | May 7
The 5th edition of the Cucumber Festival 2026 was held at Aliba village under Mokokchung district on Thursday, bringing together farmers, agricultural officials and stakeholders to celebrate the village’s success in off-season cucumber cultivation and sustainable farming practices.
The festival was organised with the objective of promoting off-season cucumber cultivation, showcasing farmers’ innovations and encouraging sustainable agricultural practices.
The event featured exhibitions, sales stalls, traditional games and various local activities.
Aliba village is regarded as the pioneering village of off-season cucumber cultivation in Nagaland. The journey began in 1984-85 when late Burremba Pongen first experimented with the crop, an initiative that later transformed Aliba into what is now popularly known as a “Cucumber village”.
The programme also highlighted the growing recognition of the Naga sweet cucumber which received its Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2021.
This year, around 60 farmers cultivated cucumber in the village, while the festival featured 17 stalls displaying cucumber and value-added products, local agricultural produce, handicrafts, food and beverages, along with traditional games.
Addressing the gathering, special guest Sanuzo Nienu, Director of Agriculture and State Nodal Officer (ATMA), Government of Nagaland, described the festival as “a celebration of resilience, innovation, and community spirit”.
He said Aliba village had demonstrated how collective effort and determination could transform “unproductive months” after paddy harvest into a season of prosperity through off-season farming.
Paying tribute to late Burremba Pongen, Nienu said the pioneer’s “vision and resilience laid the foundation” for the success being celebrated today.
He also appreciated the contributions of farmers, women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and youth in diversifying cultivation beyond cucumber to crops such as sweet corn, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, knolkhol and beetroot.
Encouraging farmers to adopt Good Agricultural Practices, Nienu stressed the importance of proper soil management, seed treatment, timely irrigation and improved farming techniques.
He further urged farmers to gradually adopt organic and natural farming systems to reduce cultivation costs and create better market opportunities through branding produce as “organic”, “natural” or “chemical-free”.
Highlighting the future potential of the village, he called for scaling the Aliba model to other villages across Nagaland, developing branding and packaging for Aliba cucumber, exploring digital and urban markets, encouraging youth-led agri-entrepreneurship, and adopting water conservation and soil health practices.
Nienu cited Baghty village as an example of how Aliba’s model had already inspired other farming communities, noting that farmers there had adopted off-season cucumber cultivation using seeds sourced from Aliba along with drip irrigation techniques.
“If these steps are taken, Aliba can become not just a success story but a Model Agricultural Hub for the entire region,” he said.
Stating that farmers are “innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders of change,” Nienu said the success of Aliba should inspire villages across the state and contribute towards uplifting the rural economy.
Short speeches were also delivered by Limanenla, NCS, Joint Secretary, Agriculture Department, Government of Nagaland; Dr Lanunochetla, District Agriculture Officer, Mokokchung; and representatives from the Department of Tourism, Government of Nagaland.
