DIMAPUR, JULY 15 (MExN): Nagaland Agriculture Production Commissioner, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS has urged policy makers in the Central Government to visit the State and the region, observe the farming situation at the ground level and accordingly prepare schemes and programmes for the benefit of the farming community of the region.
Speaking at the 2 days national conference of State Agriculture Ministers in Bengaluru from July 14 to 15, the Nagaland APC observed that most of the centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) have geo-physical constraints as they are to a large extent designed as “one size-fit-all approach.”
The APC did a presentation on the Naga Model Integrated Settled Farming (N-IsF), which is in line with the natural farming system. He stated that that the traditional system practiced in the State of Nagaland and other North Eastern States is different and unique which is not adequately included in the curriculum and syllabus of any university in the country.
He said that because of the constant practice of jhum, productivity has been affected, which is now not found to be economically viable and ecologically sustainable. Sema suggested that the Union Government should adopt policies and schemes in line with the N-IsF for the State of Nagaland and the North East Region.
He emphasised on the Naga model of N-IsF which was implemented post-pandemic. He said that since departments’ interventions are fragmented, isolated and without much tangible outcomes, to achieve the twin goals of profitable farming and doubling farmers income leading to gainful employment, there is need to minimize the risks and provide additional income. “With the prevailing favourable agro-climatic conditions, the N-IsF, a whole farm management system, including value chain activities is being implemented,” he informed.
This, he stated, would ensure integration of all Agri and allied activities in a cluster, where the activities will include Agriculture, Horticulture, Pisiculture, Water Harvesting Pond, livestock like Dairy, Piggery, Poultry, Duckery, Sericulture, Apiculture, Plantation Crops such as Coffee, Arecanut, Cardamom, etc, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Vermicompost and Nursery. It will also include facilities like Integrated Collection Centre, Pack House, Value Addition Unit, Warehouse, Common Feed Mills, Farm Mechanization Units, Farm Road etc. A Pilot project was initiated and implemented at Boke Botsa, Kohima during 2020-21.
The APC said that this Model is expected to minimize traditional shifting cultivation and protect environment by judicious use of natural resources, ensure double cropping with provision of off-season irrigation facilities and water bodies to provide steady and stable income, promote value chain & marketing linkages through commodity-based Farmers’ Producer Organization (FPOs), encourage migration from urban to rural for taking up N-IsF and help develop Agro-Eco Tourism/ Farm township.
Meanwhile, the APC flagged several issues such as release of funds during the fag end of the financial year which are credited only during April making it difficult to produce Utilization Certificate (UC) for the same financial year and the difficulty in digital payment systems like DBT, PFMS, etc because 27 of the 74 blocks in Nagaland are unbanked. He also appealed for revision of Cost Norms for Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the State of Nagaland as well as the region as the cost norms are different from other parts of the country.
