Agriculture policies formulated in Delhi not viable in Nagaland, Northeast, says official

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 29 (EMN): Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema on Monday said “Enhancing Landscape and Eco-system Management Project” will enhance economy, sustainability and ecology of the state.

He was addressing the introductory programme for World Bank Team on ‘Enhancing Landscape and Eco-system Management Project’ (ELEMENT) at Hotel Vivor in Kohima.

The official maintained that for the first time in 59 years of statehood, the World Bank is coming forward to fund on Agri and allied sector, while citing the already funded projects in the state like Polytechnic and vocational training institute that have been completed and the ongoing ones — Nagaland Health Project (NHP) and Nectar Lighthouse Project.

Sema said the ELEMENT project is worth INR 647 crore with 80% to be funded by the World Bank and 20% by the state. He added that the project was approved in the ‘shortest time’ unlike other externally-aided projects (EAP) that usually takes many years for approval.

He opined that owing to various situations, the state has been deprived of investment but time has come to invest as there is peace in the state for over a decade now.

Dwelling on the unique agriculture system in the state, which is not included in any curriculum of any universities, he said the only industry that can sustain in the state is agro-based industry with 70-75 per cent population of the state living in rural areas engaged in agri-allied activities.

He maintained that there is a shift in the jhum and shifting cultivation with people beginning to start Community Conserved forest through the initiative of government and other agencies.

The official pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic had made people realise the importance of agriculture but hit by the draught-like situation. He added that the policies formulated in Delhi are not viable in Nagaland and the Northeast region.

He went on to inform that for sustainable agriculture, the state came up with Naga-model integrated-settled farming to address food insecurity issue and find a solution for ecological farming.

During the programme, the core committee members of ELEMENT and World Bank representative also made a presentation on how the project would impact the life of the people and its environment.