Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 17
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today maintained that Nagaland has a huge potential for development of horticulture. “The state is gifted with a unique topography and varied agro-climatic and soil conditions which offers vast resources and scope for development of various horticultural crops,” Rio told the State Level Horticulture Conference here today.
Rio, who also holds the portfolio of horticulture challenged the participants to be the motivators and doers in bringing about a change and in developing horticulture to its full potential “so that it occupies its rightful place in the state’s economy.” Rio declared that high quality crops can be grown in the state throughout the year if proper attention is given.
“This potential needs to be translated into a reality with the right interventions and directions from the government,” he said adding the conference has been designed for targeting policy makers, government functionaries, various agencies and institutions comprising of academicians, researchers and experts etc. for thorough discussion on various aspects of horticulture development and to bring out future strategies.
In order to fully harvest this potential, he said, we are now beginning to think in terms of a new concept called Horti-forestry in which the emphasis of our plantation programmes will shift from timber trees to fruit trees.
“This makes sound economic sense, because firstly, the gestation or waiting period in respect of horti-plantations are much shorter than timber plantations and secondly, once matured, horti-forest will yield returns year after year for many decades,” he observed.
The Chief Minister also said that with temperate climate, abundant monsoon rainfall, and naturally fertile soil, ‘where almost everything can grow luxuriant,’ Nagaland indeed, has great potential for agri and allied sector.
“It is our bounden duty to exploit this potential for the welfare and prosperity of our people,” Rio asserted.
However, he said, what is actually happening now is far from satisfactory. “We are still basically a net consuming society, by which, I mean that we are consuming more than we actually produce. This is why, we are now importing not only raw materials, ready-made and manufactured good, but even foodgrains, vegetables, meat, fish etc. and we pay for all these imports mostly through the salaries of government employees and the government’s payments” he reminded. Rio added that circulation of money in the state is heavily dependent on salaries and other government’s payment.
“In other words, we may say that our economy is salary-driven economy,” he said adding it was a high time for the people to make sincere attempts to turn or reverse this trend.
Rio also regretted that although Nagaland is primarily an agricultural state, traditional farming systems for many years have been at a subsistence level. The farming of horticulture crops was also almost non-existent except for a few unorganized activities on a very low scale.
However, he said, during the 10th Plan, through the timely intervention of the Horticulture Technology Mission for the NE states there has been a marked difference in the scale of horticultural crops cultivation as well as the interest generated amongst the farmers.
“However, this awareness and the nascent commercial production that is being generated today have to be further boosted and encouraged and not allowed to fizzle out,” Rio added.
Chief Secretary Lalhuma chaired the inaugural function while ex-DDG (ICAR), Chief Consultant (FAO) and Chief Consultant, CIH and HTM, Nagaland Dr. SP Ghosh delivered the keynote address. Secretary Horticulture LH Thangi Mannen also spoke on the occasion while Parliamentary Secretary (Horticulture) Nyeiwang Konyak delivered the welcome address.
The conference, to go on till August 18, will discuss on the many constraints, bottlenecks and future strategies for horticulture development in the state.
Various issues on which the government requires to be pro-active in matters of standardization of quality planting materials and seeds, imparting adoption of appropriate planting techniques in farmers’ field, plant care management etc. will be deliberated upon.
The Conference will also address the framing of a road map for horticulture development as a policy initiative of the government during the “Year of Farmers.”
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