DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 3 (MExN): Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, Dr. S Ayyappan today pledged to look into the possibility of setting up of a fruit processing facility at Jharnapani, Dimapur. Dr. Ayyappan stated this during a visit to Molvom village on Thursday, February 3. Molvom under Medziphema is recognized as a ‘Pineapple village’ by the government of Nagaland.
ICAR, Jharnapani organised a ‘farmer’s fair cum exhibition’ at Molvom, with pineapple as the main attraction of the event, also coinciding with the director general’s visit.
Dr. Ayyappan also toured one of the pineapple farms of the village and interacted with the cultivators. He expressed optimism that pineapple farming has high potential in the state while remarking that the average fruit productivity in Nagaland is higher than the whole of the north east region. The annual pineapple yield from Nagaland is 9 tons per hectare, he said, almost the same as the national per hectare yield of 10 ½ tons.
Organic pineapple, from Nagaland is a highly sought after item in other parts of the country, as was observed in some of the national level fairs and exhibitions, he said. “Already in this village, we have more than 250 hectares” of land under pineapple. “What we now require is a processing facility… we will look at it.”
Later addressing a gathering at the exhibition site in the village, Dr. Ayyappan assured that he will convey the appeal of the farmers of the village for setting up of a processing facility. One of the farmers had rued the lack of a proper marketing avenue for their produce, coupled by transportation headaches and the urgent need for a processing facility nearby. “Production is there but we’re finding it difficult to market it (produce).”
Dr. Ayyappan noted the immediate need for a processing as well as a storage unit for fruits. He further asked the ICAR, Jharnapani to prepare a ‘concept note’ and send a report to the concerned ministry at the Centre. “This village should be proud that you’re producing not only pineapples but also entrepreneurs”, a rather impressed Dr. Ayyappan remarked on the achievement of the village so far.
The pineapple cultivation in Molvom is rain-fed while no chemical fertilizers are used. The headman of Molvom village interacting with Dr. Ayyappan during his visit to the farm disclosed that monetary turnover from the said farm was Rs. one lakh in 2008. The investment, he revealed was negligible, considering the output.
One of the visitors from ICAR made a passing remark, in terms of production economics, that the output is amazing, taking into consideration the low amount of labour used and the monetary investment involved, and the almost zero use of modern technology.
.JPG)
