(Top) Training for B.Voc Students of SASRD, Nagaland University at SHN. (Bottom) Spawn Production at MDC Lab, SHN. (Photo Courtesy: Department of Horticulture, Nagaland)
Morung Express News
Kohima | January 13
Three State Horticulture Nurseries are being initiated under the Nagaland Department of Horticulture namely Farms & Nurseries, Mushroom Development Centre and Tissue Culture Laboratory.
This was informed in the annual administrative report 2017-18 of the Nagaland State Department of Horticulture.
A significant achievement under the farms and nurseries is the installation of the first ever hi-tech nursery in the State called the semi-automated vegetables seedling production unit which has the capacity to produce 70,000 quality seedlings per unit batch.
The mushroom development centre was established in 1999 with the objective to generate production and technology refinement and provide training to farmers for cultivation of different mushrooms.
During 2017-18, the administrative report said that trials and demonstration on cultivation of new mushroom carnicoby was conducted successfully. Trainings were conducted in different colleges and universities, where 54 students were imparted training on different aspect of mushroom production.
Further, the plant tissue culture laboratory unit was established in 2003 to produce quality and disease free panting material for farmers. At present the laboratory is involved in the mass propagation of G. Naine variety of banana and seven species of indigenous orchids.
Some of the projects under the North East Council taken up by the department are the creation of botanical garden and recreational park at Jalukie, Peren, Dragon Fruit Cultivation, and coconut development board.
No mention is however made on the progress of the 32 acre botanical garden and recreational park, except for the completion of electricity connection and approach road works.
According to the report, the Dream Dragon Fruit Farm at Shitovi village in Dimapur is the first and only farm in Nagaland, where dragon fruit is produced and sold. It added that the farm is an accredited nursery with one star rating by the accrediting authority under Central Institute of Horticulture.
Under the Horticulture development program, the department is also keeping a provision for procurement of coconut seedling inputs for development of the Dimapur, Peren, Wokha, Mokokchung, Mon, Kohima and Longleng in the foothill area adjacent to Assam.
During 2017-18, Coconut Development Board had sanctioned an amount of Rs. 53.575 lakh for coconut plantation and development related schemes in seven districts of Nagaland.
Centrally Sponsored Schemes
Under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), 3500.00 lakh has been allocated to the Department out of which 3134.00 lakh was released in two installments, mentioned the administrative report. The MIDH is a major centrally sponsored scheme introduced for the holistic growth of horticulture in six sub-schemes. With the amount received, activities were prioritized by the department focusing in the area production of planting materials (17.50 lakh), area expansion (705 lakh), rejuvenation (23 lakh), protected cultivation (561.53 lakh), promotion of integrated nutrient management & integrated pest management (38.28 lakh), stated the report.
In the sector of post harvest management and marketing infrastructure, the report stated that the Department has taken up construction of 220 units of functional pack houses covering all districts, one unit of integrated house at Mokokchung, 210 units of low energy cool chamber and 88 units of low cost preservation unit in all the districts with a total amount of 1078.00 lakh for 2017-18. 11 units of rural markets were constructed across the state and one collection/sorting/grading unit set up in Wokha with a total amount of Rs. 159 lakh.
For 2017-18, the Department earmarked an amount of Rs. 102.19 lakh under human resource development for imparting trainings of farmers, entrepreneurs and officials, exposure tours to various progressive states. Rs. 30.00 lakh were allotted for information, publicity and development of technology packages in electronic forms with the publication of the ‘Farmers Friendly Handbook’ as a major highlight which has been translated in different local dialects.
