Many will remember the frenzied rush to grow teak in the late eighties after words spread that the foothill and plain areas of the state were ideal for growing them and that a single tree would in 20 years time fetch at least half lakh rupees. These and the comparative ease of raising them unlike tea, coffee or rubber were sufficient encouragements to start the rush. Teak was dubbed ‘Green Gold’ and people spent most of their time calculating, talking about or raising them. Even the people from the highlands started purchasing land in and around Dimapur and joined the ‘Great Green Gold Rush of Nagaland’. Land selling business boomed alongside sale of teak saplings here and very soon even the steepest slopes bordering the valley had new owners from the hills.
It is now more than two decades since that great exercise and the trees are now ripe and ready for harvest. Now is the time to see radiant smiles on the faces of the Naga teak farmers who toiled for years in their plantations under the scorching sun. To enjoy the long awaited fruits of their hard and honest labour was what they were eagerly looking forward to but it seems that is not to be. They are shaken and most distressed by the goings-on in the timber market of Nagaland. The mature trees which were supposed to rake in fabulous wealth are now selling at awfully low prices. The proffered price to the tree owners for a whole Bali post size tree (about 10 years old) which includes every branch has plummeted to a disgusting low of fifty rupees and a tree expected to fetch at least fifty thousand rupees if not more is being sold at one thousand rupees and that too with much difficulty. Circulation of bad stories about teak is being blamed for all this. According to these wild tales teak near the house cause cancer, asthma, incurable skin diseases and yet many more. Also, the effect will be instant and severe if teak wood is burnt in the kitchen or its smoke is inhaled, whereas eating and drinking from plates and mugs made from teak wood is not to be even talked about. The gullible many have cut down and sold off all their valuable trees at firewood price to the many buyers who are going about in the colonies and villages and funnily, many plantation owners are even relieved and happy to be rid of their trees. As a counter the state forest department officials have publicly stated that these stories are untrue but most are not convinced and some have even gone to the extent of forcing other people to cut down their trees without delay. The other reason, which is real, is the maze of choking legalities one has to go through in order to sell or transport teak trees. These difficulties and the Supreme Court ruling on trade in teak are always smugly quoted by the buyers as justifications for the plunging market rate when they haggle over prices with fuming tree owners.
This on going market situation is causing tremendous losses to the Naga tree growers because there are millions upon millions of very valuable teak trees in their gardens. In other parts of the country this tree is highly regarded par excellence the most valuable timber tree of India. A single teak tree down south fetches several lakh rupees but right now in Nagaland ‘Green Gold’ has lost its meaning. Here teak is cheaper than B class trees (when purchased from the growers) and it is a matter that can astound the rest of the world. In neighbouring Assam tea plantation has transformed the economy of the Assamese people. Small scale tea growers are flourishing and their economic condition has improved remarkably, all thanks to a proper marketing system and support by the government. In our case too a farmer friendly marketing strategy which is simple and least complicated has to be devised soon before the farmers are cheated of all their valuable tree crops. Lack of proper marketing facility and tedious bothersome legalities are disallowing the people from enjoying the fruits. Most tree owners are totally ignorant about the procedures connected with the sale of their products. Here the forest department could act as a facilitator by enlightening the farmers on this matter. Right now teak farmers are totally disgusted and perturbed with the entire enterprise. There is a strong sense of resentment as they feel cheated and let down and many farmers swear to never ever grow trees again as a means of livelihood. Something has to be done fast to restore their faith because this is a crop viable here.
A proper market management for the sustained growth of this plantation crop is essential right now and this does not require much effort. We have everything else the trees are ripe for harvest, land is there to establish more plantations, the climate is suitable and our people are hard working. In other countries growers are assured of an adequate price for their produce through co-operative marketing. Even in Kerela, the largest producer of coconut in India, the government has established a system wherein coconut farmers are assured of a sustainable profit margin called ‘Thanguvila’ which is the lowest permissible price in the market. This plantation crop is a new opportunity for our people and it has the potential to transform our economy and hence it needs to be nurtured so that it can go on.
Dr Vizovol Mekro,
Kohima
