IFAD-FOCUS projects review: Nagaland APC proposes new tissue culture tech

Country Director, IFAD, Han Ulac Demirag, APC and Mission Director FOCUS, Nagaland, Y Kikheto Sema IAS with officials from Agri & Allied department during the visit to project site at Jakhama village on November 19. (DIPR Photo)

Country Director, IFAD, Han Ulac Demirag, APC and Mission Director FOCUS, Nagaland, Y Kikheto Sema IAS with officials from Agri & Allied department during the visit to project site at Jakhama village on November 19. (DIPR Photo)

Kohima, November 20 (MExN): Country Director, IFAD, Han Ulac Demirag on November 19, protracted his visit to the southern part of the Angami region to review the progress of activities being implemented under the IFAD-FOCUS. 

Team IFAD Nagaland, spearheaded by APC and Mission Director FOCUS, Nagaland, Y Kikheto Sema IAS, State Project Director-FOCUS, S Tainiu with officials from Agri & Allied department accompanying him during the farm visit, stated a DIPR report. “I see lots of promising pilot activities and it is important to bring the right technology and enhance the production,” stated Demirag while visiting the project site at Sakabama and Jakhama village. He said the activities and designs have to be made on a really systematic build up and a concrete plan.

Demirag said he has seen positive stories in all the target groups, he assured that he will look forward to approve a new structure of packages and design and a model developed to suit the Naga farming activities for the project to progress successfully. 

APC and Mission Director FOCUS, Nagaland Y Kikheto Sema, visiting IFAD FOCUS project site at Jakhama. The APC stated that the project was delayed in the implementation due to various reasons relating to parliamentary elections and subsequently the surge of Covid-19 which halted the project and could not be taken up on the date as expected.

He proposed to introduce a technology intervention in new tissue culture of potatoes. He stressed that ‘potato’ is next to rice as far as staple food is concerned and the life shield is more, yet the traditional method of farming and the way the farmers are cultivating in such a terrain area makes it difficult for any surplus production of crops, therefore intervention of this new technology will bring down the head loads and hardships to an easier and sustainable cultivation, he also added that it will produce better production and exotic crops originating from the State. 

APC stated that CIP experts had visited and surveyed the project sites a month earlier and reported that the climatic condition are suitable and favourable, therefore he assured that by the second week of December 16, progressive farmers and 4 technical officer from the State will be sent for a hands on knowledge training to learn about the advantages of new tissue culture which is intended to be started by the next season with the consent of IFAD. He further requested the IFAD to assist them in sponsoring during the activities taken up with the International Potato Center (CIP) so that the project is not halted anywhere between the developmental stages.

His key focus was in construction of farm roads, water bodies and facilities in infrastructure for post-harvest management, he also laid special emphasis on providing marketing support for the farmers’ produce while also calling for value addition to it. Kikheto mentioned that the designs laid by the IFAD are appreciable however; he noted that few important activities which can really benefit the farming community need to be more focused. “We do not want to look on multiple activities which is not achievable, we are planning on few specific areas which are achievable,” added Kikheto and requested the IFAD to redesign and include some of the activities and package on the need based of the farmers, and the policies and program to rolled out accordingly which will suit the Naga farming activities. 

He also suggested that convergent projects can be initiated between the community and the MGNREGA schemes for farm roads and other infrastructure development. ‘Food security and sustainability is possible only when there is availability of water and our people should not only depend on the rain for cultivating summer and winter crops’ he said this, as water bodies is necessitated in any sustainable farming to ensure year round cultivation feasibility in all the areas and seasons. 

The APC also appealed to focus on conservation of forest to reduce effects of climate change and urged them for a settled sustainable farming whole round the year rather than jhumming on the hill tops. 

On interacting with the farmers at Jakhama, Country Director, Demerag was amazed at the farmers, cultivation at an altitude of 2100 meters on hill top, the reason being low pest infestation at higher altitude, however APC was of the view that with the new intervention of technology in tissue culture, farming will be possible in low lying areas nearby which will yield better crops and enhance production and sustainability and boost the farmers by generating better incomes.

The farmers expressed gratitude for the government initiative towards assisting the farmers in introducing new technologies and machineries. They expressed satisfaction over the farm roads and water bodies constructed by IFAD FOCUS which have contributed much in enhancing their productivity.