Implementation of Rainfed Area Development (RAD) of NMSA in the State of Nagaland.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 20
Although the COVID-19 pandemic brought almost everything to a standstill, the Government of India made massive exceptions for agriculture related activities throughout the country taking into account the welfare of the farming community as well as those that depend on it for their livelihood. This is turn continued to facilitate availability of agricultural produces throughout the length and breadth of the country even during the lockdown period.
The Nagaland State Agriculture Department continued to play active role to see that the various schemes reach the beneficiaries even during the lockdown period. Taking the pandemic into account, the Department worked out strategic contingency plan in advance for any eventuality and distributed selected Kharif and Rabi seeds to the farmers on the basis of local needs well ahead of time.
While agriculture related activities were relaxed except for scattered reports of local authorities putting restrictions, the Department took the responsibility of ensuring that the farming community were adhering to hygiene protocols during their farming activity.
Under the initiative of Minister for Agriculture and Cooperation, G Kaito Aye, the Department distributed face masks, hand washing soaps, Farmers’ Advisory Pamphlet to the farmers in 74 blocks besides creating basic awareness on COVID-19.
The Department of Agriculture, Government of Nagaland is implementing a good number of both centrally and state sponsored schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) etc.
According to the Department, it distributed 93 Tractors, 878 Power Tiller, 460 Brush cutters, 215 Rotary Tillers and 372 other smaller but useful machineries to the farmers both free as well as on subsidy under SMAM. The Department was hopeful that distribution of such machineries would increase the farm power availability to a great extent.
During 2020, under RKVY, the Department completed construction of AC Organic Market at NER Agri Expo 4th Mile, Dimapur which was inaugurated on December 8. This is the first such market in the State and also touted to be the first in the entire northeast. On the same day and at the same location, a foundation stone for construction of Farmers Hostel was also laid having capacity to accommodate more than 100 farmers.
213605 farmers in state
According to the Department, altogether 2,13,605 farmers in the State were registered under PM Kisan as on November 30 out of which 33,097 were registered during 2020. The total amount disbursed to the farmers till November 30 stands at Rs 176.27 crore.
Increasing food grain production
The food grain production in the State has been increasing substantially over the years even though the State has yet to achieve self sufficiency. During 2018-19, the food grain production was 7,38,260 MT which increased to 7,48,870 MT in 2019-20 and is expected to increase to 8,33,770 MT during 2020-21.
Under Marketing sector, the State Government formally approved the Agriculture Produce and Livestock Management (APLM) superseding the APMC Act 2005 so as to pave the way for proper marketing linkages of the Agriculture produce & livestock within the State The Department has constructed 19 numbers of marketing sheds and 12 collection stores spread over various districts under RKVY during the current year.
