‘Process of adopting organic state is long overdue’
MLA Y Vikheho Swu. (Morung File Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 7
MLA Y Vikheho Swu today said that the process of adopting organic state is long overdue. “Our organic soil is on the verge of being completely contaminated with all kinds of harmful pesticide and weed repellents including access use of salt,” he said while taking part in the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor’s Address.
He said that apart from big machine, a lot of personalized tools need to be distributed on subsidized rate to the farmers, such as hand sawing machine, weed cutter, harvesting machine, hole digging machine, ploughing machine etc.
Also suggesting on the need to announce total ban of the use of all pesticide, weed repellent etc, he said policy should be framed so as to buy vegetables from the local producers.
APMC function should be revamped, he added. “No matter how much the inadequate financially the state may be, unless the state government initiates our own agricultural policy with our own resources, agricultural production and improvement will never come to our desired result. Central scheme are designed to suit the central government purpose, we have to go as per their guideline to avail fund, which in many case does not suite the programs in the hills,” Swu said.
He said that the agriculture sector in the state has failed to achieve food security even after implementing several policies and programmes as there are heavy inflow of vegetables and food products in the market from the neighboring state.
Stating that the lack of storages and power has also been affecting the farmers, Swu felt that the state should therefore recognize the setback of the farmers and implement programmes to install mini-cold storages and mini power generating plants to help farmers preserve perishable products with continued supply of electricity through proper road so that organic products of the state reach the consumers in the state at a cheaper rate.
Meanwhile, Swu congratulated the education department for initiating new programmes, such as introduction of teachers’ diary to ensure continuous monitoring of learning outcome of students and teachers performance in the school etc.
“What I feel the department should still do is rationalization of teachers. This should be taken up on priority with all seriousness,” he said.
He also expressed desire that Nagaland should be and can be a meat producing state given the fact that “we are the largest consumers of pork.”
He said centralized piggery projects alone is inadequate to realize our state's vision to be self sufficient in meat production and pork products. The department of Veterinary & Animal Husbandry should therefore devise ways and means to produce feeds of equal or higher quality with local products at a cheaper rate to encourage farmers to take up pig rearing once again, Swu added.
