Dimapur: Railways, airlines agree to transport local horti produces

Dimapur Airport officials apprising Commissioner & Secretary, Y. Kikheto Sema; and Director of Horticulture, Dr. Elithung Lotha on the upcoming Common User Domestic Cargo Terminal  at Dimapur Airport on Friday. (Morung Photo)

Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 27

In a significant development that could further the prospects of farmers and local traders in exporting locally produced perishable and non-perishable items, both the Northeastern Frontier Railways (NFR) in Dimapur and Airline operators including Air India and Indigo have agreed to transport such produces outside the state with the State Horticulture Department as the nodal department.

The local produces include fruits and vegetables, spices and plantation crops, all of which come with Horticulture Department as the nodal department in Nagaland.

The verbal agreements were given to Horticulture Department officers led by Commissioner & Secretary, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS and Director, Dr. Elithung Lotha on Friday when they called on the officers of the two public service sectors in Dimapur.
During the first meeting with Railway officials at Dimapur Railway Station, Kikheto apprised them about the activities of the department as the nodal department for various produces and enquired whether such local produces could be transported outside the state through their services.

To this, the railway officials replied in the affirmative and rather added that High Powered Vehicle Vans have been available for transportation of such goods in capacities of 18 tonnes (18, 000 kgs) and 23 tonnes (23, 000 kgs). They informed that it was the first time that a state government department had officially visited them enquiring about such facilities and expressed their willingness to provide all possible support and cooperation. 

Upon learning from the railway officials that a huge consignment of cardamom goes out from the state through railways on a regular basis, the Commissioner & Secretary directed the Horticulture Department officers present to study the details as the middlemen could be exploiting the local cardamom farmers who were in distress. 

“Henceforth, we will not allow middlemen to exploit our farmers and so we must work out a mechanism to stop this menace,” Kikheto maintained.

He said that the Horticulture Department being the nodal department, was responsible to ensure that farmers get the right price for their produces.

The railway officials present during the meeting included, Soumendra Mazumdar, Station Manager and Santunu Dutta, Commercial Supervisor (Parcel) Dimapur Railway Station.

Later, in a meeting with the Director of Dimapur Airport, Mughavi Zhimo; MK Saha, Station Manager, Air India Ltd and Ratnadeep Dutta, Airport Manager, Indigo at the Dimapur Airport, Kikheto requested allotment of cargo space in their respective aircrafts for transporting local produces outside the state, especially to Delhi. Both the airlines officials agreed and added they were open to working together with the department. Kikheto said that the department would soon be writing an official letter to both the airlines and work out the modalities at the earliest.

Meanwhile, Director of Dimapur Airport, Mughavi Zhimo also agreed to a request by Kikheto to allot a space to the Horticulture Department within the airport infrastructure for showcasing and promoting the departments’ activities and produces. He, however, added that it would take some time since renovation is currently underway. 

Zhimo informed that construction would soon commence for the Common User Domestic Cargo Terminal at Dimapur Airport. 

Kikheto meanwhile informed the railways and airlines officials that the department would consult with farmers, traders and related entrepreneurs regarding quantity of produces that could be supplied for export at different intervals.

He later visited the State Horticulture Nursery at Green Park and interacted with the staff who apprised him on the various ongoing activities. Kikheto urged the staff to work out details about the cost of production for each plant/crop etc and to project at what subsidized rate the department was selling the saplings/seeds etc to the farmers and public.