Morung Express News
Dimapur | April 3
Secretary Land Resources and Finance, Y. Kikheto Sema, IAS on April 3 visited Integrated Watershed Management Project (IWMP) at Tsupfume and Chizami villages under Phek district.
Accompanied by a host of officers from Land Resources and Finance Departments, the team visited Kiwi farms at Tsupfume village also known as ‘Vegetable Village.’
Interacting with the farmers, Kikheto encouraged the farmers to carry on farming activities with sincerity and hard work. He said that even if IWMP culminates, the department would assess the projects and reward the villagers with the introduction of more crops and assist them according to their performance.
Owing to bad weather conditions last year, the villagers harvested only about 10 metric tonnes of Kiwi. However, this year, they are expecting to harvest around 15 metric tonnes. The farmers are also engaged in Plum plantation.
It was learnt that Tsupfume villagers were marketing Kiwi to Kohima, Imphal and Mizoram. He said that the department would explore the possibility of erecting permanent structures for Kiwi plantation. He asked the villagers to work towards making their farming activities a role model for others to follow.
The officers also visited water harvesting ponds which was initiated during the first batch of IWMP. The Secretary instructed the District Project Officer, Phek to indentify springshed areas for the purpose of water recharge.
He also encouraged the farmers to explore coffee plantation which can sustain for 40-50 years. Stating that marketing of coffee has been channelized, Kikheto told the farmers not to have any apprehension about marketing the produce.
Later, the team visited Chizami and interacted with the farmers and village elders. Chizami is engaged in Banana and Yongchak plantations initiated by the LRD through first batch IWMP. Awareness on Coffee plantation was also disseminated to the farmers. The Secretary said that the department was ready to converge with any allied department for the purpose of transforming rural livelihood and uplift their economy.
