Advisor, Horticulture & Border Affairs Mhathung Yanthan, Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Y Kikheto Sema and others during the flagging off of winter vegetable seeds for distribution to identified villages on August 26 in Kohima. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 26
As part of the post COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery activities, the department of Horticulture Nagaland started the distribution process of winter vegetable seeds to 170 identified villages in the state on August 26.
The seeds include potato, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, carrot, peas, chilli etc.
The package of these vegetable seeds is funded by North Eastern Council 2020-21 and Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) 2021-22.
‘Vegetable villages’
Under MIDH during 2021-22, 1,000 Ha area is to be covered under vegetables wherein villages are adopted as ‘Vegetable villages’ by the Department and are supported with vegetable seeds for both Kharif and Rabi season.
So far, there are over 70 vegetable villages covering all the districts including the youngest district of Noklak.
The concept behind these ‘Vegetable villages’ is to increase the quantum of vegetables produced so that there is marketable surplus which can contribute to increasing the income of the villagers by way of sale of the vegetables while also contributing to their nutritional security by ensuring availability of vegetables for their consumption.
Under funds provided by NEC for the year 2020-21, the focus is on providing quality vegetable seeds to the farmers for whole year cultivation.
In this, 100 vegetable villages covering 11 districts including 10,000 households have been identified.
Capitalize agricultural production
Earlier, flagging off the distribution ceremony at a function held here at Directorate of Horticulture, Nagaland’s Horticulture & Border Affairs Advisor Mhathung Yanthan stressed on the need to make proper assessment on agricultural production in the state, adding that whatever marketable surplus is there, must reach the markets.
He stated that the Agri and allied departments had a meeting with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in Kohima yesterday on the prospects of market/exporting the produces from Nagaland.
“We have enough potential. The only thing is that we are not capitalizing our potential/agricultural production. Thus, we are not getting any economic benefit,” Yanthan said.
He also called upon the farmers to take advantage of Air cargo facility as the charge is nominal.
The Advisor said that Nagas have learnt a great lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic, to produce enough for ourselves and surplus production as well to get some economic returns.
Thanking the horticulture department for timely procurement of winter vegetable seeds, he requested the department to ensure that the seeds are distributed properly and that they reach the deserving farmers.
“It should not be a mere distribution. It should be distributed properly and reach the farmers on time,” he said.
Agri dept to distribute winter seeds to 645 villages
Nagaland’s Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) Y Kikheto Sema said that, earlier the Rabi seeds used to be distributed only in October, but this time efforts are being made to reach the farmers ahead for timely cultivation.
He informed that the horticulture department has made the beginning while the Agriculture department through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) would be distributing winter seeds to 645 villages soon and efforts would be made to cover all the villages across the state.
“We would like to see that there is no dearth of vegetables in the state after the pandemic,” he said.
Maintaining that the villagers should not only look to the government for seeds, the APC appealed to the farmers to preserve the best produce for germination of seeds.
Earlier, the programme was chaired by Dr R Elithung Lotha, Director Nagaland’s Horticulture department and Mission Director MIDH.
