DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 12 (MExN): The controversial Jhum cultivation took centre stage today at the inaugural function of the ‘Rice & Food Security’ workshop on the second day of Rice Festival at Agri Expo site in 4th Mile Dimapur, as both the chief guest of the day, Education Minister Imkong Imchen and Principal Secretary Alemtemshi touched on the issue with concern. Delivering the keynote address, Principle Secretary and APC, Alemtemshi Jamir said that the North East region had 1.63 million hectare area under shifting cultivation leading to massive soil erosion. However this traditional system of cultivation, which happens to be the only option presently available to the tribal people of the region, is found to have substantial impact on preserving Agro biodiversity. Nevertheless, Jamir says that the efforts of the Indo-Canadian NEPED project like introducing tree planting with the Jhum cycle are worthy of deeper examination and replication. He also suggested that suitable upland rice of cultivable varieties could be tested and cultivated in different agroclimatic zone which may possibly add to self-sufficiency in food in the region.
Meanwhile, pointing out that though Jhum cultivation could not be immediately replaced, the chief guest, Minister Imkong Imchen said that sincere research and extension efforts are being done to supplement the Jhum method with Horticulture and other commercial crops. Imchen also advocated technological interventions, ‘affective linkages’ between scientist and the farmers and the pro-active involvement of the financial institutions to increase production of rice in the state. The minister said that the entire exercise cannot be left to the Government functionaries and the farmers alone and the society, including NGOs and educated sections of the society needs to participate. “Their role becomes all the more important in the post-harvest management issues and adding value to food grain without which there would be less incentives for farming as livelihood and agriculture as an economic alternative”, the minister added.
In order to substantially increase the productivity, Alemtemshi cited the need to evolve appropriate strategies and added that one would be to change and adapt to the technologies that are already available, he said. He also spoke of the technologies which are now available like the high resolution satellite and aerial imaging coupled with digital 3D and GIS capabilities which can be used to plan out cultivation areas including irrigation by the available surface and ground water. The APC also said that appropriate policies for crop intensification and diversification is needed and lamented that the adoption level of the improved varieties, bought about through much research, is however limited mainly due to poor extension mechanism and inaccessibility to resource. Alemtemshi also said that credit linkage another source of woe in the North East. Alemtemshi also briefly mentioned the disastrous ginger exportation attempt by the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), this year, terming it as a “nightmare” with no market for the thousands of tons produced by the farmers. “For food production to be sustained and able to provide food security to the people the storage, transport, transport and marketing facilities need to be properly put into place through the different private sector,” he suggested.
