Various products on display for sell at Organic Air-conditioned Market in Nagaland State Agriculture Marketing Board (NSAMB) Complex, NER Agri Expo Site, Dimapur which was inaugurated on December 8, 2020. (Morung file Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 12
Nagaland’s Governor RN Ravi today said that the Department of Agriculture through its schemes and various interventions is consistently making efforts to provide the requisites for improving agricultural production and income of the farmers.
Under Sub–Mission on Agriculture Mechanizations (SMAM), the Department distributed 93 Tractors, 878 Power Tiller, 460 Brush cutters, 215 Rotary Tillers and 372 other smaller but useful machineries to the farmers both free as well as on subsidy, Ravi said in his address at the 7th session of 13th NLA here.
This will increase the farm power availability in the state to a great extent, he said.
During 2020, construction of A/C Organic Market at NE Agri-Expo 4th Mile, Dimapur, under RKVY, has been completed and inaugurated.
The foundation stone for construction of Farmers Hostel at the same location has also been laid. Under PM Kisan, altogether 2,13,613 farmers were registered as on 4th February 2021 out of which 33,097 were registered during 2020.
He informed that the total amount received by the farmers till February 4, 2021 is 216.08 crores. The Agri & Allied Department as a pilot project has taken up the Naga Model Integrated Settle Farming (N-IsF), with a dedicated expert Working Group drawn from all the Agri & Allied Departments.
The project has already started at Boke-Botsa under Kohima District and soon will be replicated in all the Districts of the state.
Farming clusters set up under the project, will supplement farmer’s income and livelihood, and infra-structural development both for pre and post-harvest activities, he said in his address to 7th session of 13th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) here on February 12.
Horticulture
He said the Department of Horticulture with a view to strengthen the post-harvest Management and marketing sector in the State has initiated works for the construction of 240 functional pack houses, 250 Low cost preservation units, 15 collection, sorting and grading units and 1 unit each of pre-cooling unit and cold room.
Under Phase-III of Mission Organic Value Chain for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER) which is from 2020-21 to 2022-23, the Department has targeted the formation of 6(six) Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) covering 3,000 hectares for crops such as Dragon fruit in Dimapur, Avocado in Kohima, Apple in Kiphire, Spices in Wokha, Ginger in Mon and Banana in Mokokchung covering 500 hectare area each.
With the formation of the FPCs, Ravi said, it is envisaged that the state will soon be exporting surplus of these crops as farmers will be able to aggregate and collectively market their products with ease and create room for export.
Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Services
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services under National Livestock Mission (NLM) is strengthening 2(two) State Poultry Farms at Dimapur and Peren, and 2(two) State Piggery Farms at Tuensang and Wokha.
The Department is also planning to provide 80,000 chicks, 3300 goats and 6728 pigs to the farmers with a view to boost meat production in the State, Ravi said adding that further implementation of 138 poultry units and 148 piggery units is in progress under RKVY to provide subsidiary income to the farmers and also boost meat production in the rural areas.
Rural Development
Ravi said the Department of Rural Development has been implementing several major development programmes for the rural people through 1285 VDBs in the State.
Under MGNREGS, during the current financial year out of the approved labour budget of 200 lakh person days, 152.72 lakh person days have been generated till date.
Under PMAY-G against the fund received, 1316 Houses are earmarked to be constructed in the State.
In NSRLM the key achievements during the current financial year has been facilitating behaviour change among rural population towards Community Preparedness and Resilience to COVID-19 through Self-Help Groups (SHG) network covering 1,14,463 households in all the intensive villages across the State. Under Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) the Department successfully conducted Capacity Building and Trainings for 13,614 persons at the State, Districts and Block Levels as “People’s Plan Campaign -2020” for preparation of the “Gram Panchayat Development Plan 2021-22”.
Under Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM) the Department could successfully complete, among others, beautification of Sokhriezie Lake in Kohima.
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