Participants of the hand-holding training for Kiwi Fruit at Jotsoma village.
Morung Express news
Kohima | September 21
Deputy Director Horticulture (DDH), Directorate of Horticulture Meyasashi today said Nagaland State has good potential in kiwi production having suitable altitude, wide adaptability and high produce returns.
He was speaking during a hand-holding training for kiwi fruit under Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCD-NER), a central sector under Government of India's Organic Scheme for Kohima District at Jotsoma Village today.
Kiwi farmers under Kohima district attended the training programme.
Citing that Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar during an address last year said Nagaland State needs to be made a Kiwi state of India, the DHH opined that the department is also making efforts to increase capacity training programme among kiwi farmers to ensure quality and substantial quantity of production of kiwi is met, identifying and augmenting kiwi farms, introducing area expansion programmes and market promotion by strategizing value chain techniques.
Stating that Nagaland has also introduced a Kiwi producers company, CHANSU- a generic name derived from Chakhesang, Angami and Sumi to promote the kiwi brand of the state in the international market, Meyasashi informed that companies from largest kiwi producing countries like New Zealand have expressed interest in kiwi exports from the state during off season of yielding season which is often vice versa for New Zealand and Nagaland. As such, he added that expansion of production with a target of 10000 hectare land is being projected and expressed positivity over the same.
While Nagaland has been introduced to kiwi cultivation, the state is now considered to be the 2nd largest producer and 2nd largest in area coverage. Kiwi production in the state is highest in Phek, Zunheboto and Kohima district and is being introduced in other districts. 59 hectare with 563 metric tonnes is the projected production in Kohima this year.
Monitoring & Evaluation, Project Management Unit (MOVCD-NER), New Delhi Mukunda Murthi Rao and Value Chain Expert, Project Management Unit, New Delhi Chinmoy Hait were present as resource persons during the technical sessions. While, Nagaland presently cultivates a mix of all the four varieties of Kiwi including Hayward, Allison, Monty and Bruno, hayward is popular here. It is large, broad oval shaped with slightly flattened sides and of superior flavour and good quality keeping. However average yield per plant is lowest among the varieties.
The resource persons dwelled on pre-production requirements like pruning, and storage, grading etc. They also dwelled on standard shipment protocols.
District Horticulture Officer, Kohima S Senka Jamir chaired the programme and delivered the welcome address.
