'Nagaland need practical solutions to sustainable agriculture'

Organizers and delegates with Nagaland minister of Agriculture, G Kaito Aye, at the inaugural session of the 5th IFOAM Asia Organic Youth Forum ‘residential training’ held in Dimapur on November 26. (Morung Photo)
 

5th IFOAM Asia Organic Youth Forum residential training underway at Niathu Resort 

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 26

Nagaland minister of Agriculture, G Kaito Aye, underscored the need for practical solutions to food production and food security without adversely affecting the natural eco-systems and environment.

“We need young leaders who can champion the cause of environment protection while managing enterprises that are sustainable. It is important for the younger generation to engage in agriculture and related activities; our society, economy and the future depend on your ingenuity and solutions that you can come up with,” the minister said.

Kaito was addressing the inaugural session of the 5th IFOAM Asia Organic Youth Forum ‘residential training’ held here at Niathu Resort on November 26. The three-day training is jointly organized by Government of Nagaland and Nagaland Organic Konnect (NOK) in association with IFOAM/Asia.

The minister said in the case of Nagaland where jobs in the government sector is already saturated and with thousands of school drop outs without functional skills and educated unemployed youth, the need of the hour is “creative solutions” to mitigate the growing unemployment problem.

“We need more educated, qualified and entrepreneurial young people leading the way in farming and food production sector in the State. This will help boost our economy, create employment opportunities and ignite overall development of the people and the region”, Kaito said.

He said the forum should deliberate on how to formulate effective policies for all stakeholders of agriculture and the food production sectors - to close the gaps between cultivators and the market, urgent climate-change related threats and adaptation to sustainable models of food production, processing, storage, distribution and marketing.

Kaito said the State Department of Agriculture has been working tirelessly with farmers for several decades and made tangible progress through scientific interventions and farmers’ education, but that more needs to be done in the field of sustainable agricultural practices.

He informed that in Nagaland, so far 6000 hectares under cultivation have been certified as organic and another 7000 hectare is under conversion with compliance to National Programme for Organic Production.

“When we discuss organic agriculture, it should first be about empowering the farmer in the village who is practically engaged in farming, working in close contact with our natural resources –the soil, the rivers and our forest eco-system, producing food not only for the family but for the non-farming community in the state”, the minister said.

Kaito expressed optimism that the training would create immensely benefit local organic agriculture farmers.

President, NOK, Dr. Akali Sema, in her presentation on “Journey of Nagaland Organic Konnect” said after meetings, follow-ups and creation of Whatsapp group by Naga organic farmers, entrepreneurs and patrons, NOK was finally formed on November 26, 2018.

Akali said NOK’s vision is to make Nagaland a leading state in organic agriculture and organic value chain for North East Region. She also said NOK’s mission is to promote organic farming and implement programme/policies through convergence, establish a robust supply chain for organic products from Nagaland and, address the need for quality and quantity of the produce based on market requirements.

Earlier, president, IFOAM, Zhou Zejiang delivered the opening message.

More than 30 young organic farmers and entrepreneurs from different Asian countries including India are taking part in the three-day training.