Y Kikheto Sema addressing review meeting of Land Resources Department held in Kohima on August 7. (Morung Photo)
Y Kikheto Sema addressing review meeting of Land Resources Department held in Kohima on August 7. (Morung Photo)
• 69 lakh rubber standing trees in Nagaland
• Coffee cultivation in Nagaland thriving
Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 7
Y.Kikheto Sema, Commissioner & Secretary for Land Resources Department today said that through the effort of the department, there are about 69 lakh rubber standing trees in foothill areas, especially in Mokokchung, Wokha, Mon, Longleng, Dimapur and Peren districts.
More than 11-12 lakh rubber trees started tapping, fetching more than Rs. 120 crore earning, he said this while addressing a three day long half yearly review meeting of the annual action plan (2019-20) of the Land Resources Department on Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana- Watershed Development Component (PMKSY- WDC) held at Directorate of Land Resources on August 7.
Referring to coffee cultivation in Nagaland, he said that coffee which was once a failed crop way back in 80’s because of marketing problem, is now doing well in the state.
Sema said that the department in its vision 2023 aims to develop 50,000 hectare of coffee plantation throughout the state.
If we reach 50,000 hectares and able to reap 25,000 hectares it will create employment opportunity and 50,000 educated unemployed youth will be absorbed in these coffee plantation activities, he said. So far, the department has achieved more than 6000 hectares and it will be able to cover nearly 8000 hectares by this year, he said.
Nagaland coffee is rated as one of the best quality, he said adding that the department have already tie up marketing with a company in South Africa for another 30 years. He also suggested one coffee model farm in each district.
The Commissioner & Secretary thanked all senior and district officers for bringing change of the livelihood in the rural areas. “The department has done lot of transformation in rural areas,” he said.
Stating that the department is one of the smallest departments, he said “if we see the manpower, it consists of only 0.14% of the total employees of the state government. If we see the amount that spent on the salary, it consists of only 0.13% of the total salary requirement of the state.”
But when we see the delivery of services and performances, he said, this department has done lots of transformation in bringing the livelihood and boosting rural economy.
He said that under PMSKY, funding is very small but one can take up any livelihood activities in a small way.
He expressed his happiness that many SHGs with funding of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 provided by the department could able to do huge business, fetching a turn- over upto Rs. 2-4 lakh.
Through this, he said many SHG came to know the importance of business and how to undertake economic activities within families and villages circle. He announced that the department is willing to do convergence with any department.
He also stressed on the need to do away with “I” as it often brings ‘illness.’
“We should think of “We” as it stands for wellness of the people and wellness of the society,” he said.
From Waste to Wealth
Land Resources Director T. Renben Lotha said that the objective of the half yearly review meeting of the department is to get a sense of what is happening on the ground in terms of how we are going to achieve our mission and goals.
“We cannot do the same thing and expect a different result,” he said and urged the officers to undertake a lot of exercise basing on the department’s slogan “From Waste to Wealth.”
He informed that the department has come up with a new programmes introducing coffee plantation in the existing eco system along with agriculture, fisheries and livestocks etc.
Stating that the department has also done lots of research on springshed development in the state, he was optimistic that the springshed programme will do a lot of good job to the people “because without water there cannot be any kind of land based activities including our survival.”
