Horticulture department of Nagaland signs MoU with organic cardamom firm

Our Correspondent
Pfutsero, Feb. 21 (EMN): The department of Horticulture, Government of Nagaland, has signed an MoU with the Phek Organic Large Cardamom Farmers Producer Ltd. (POLCFPC) in the presence of advisor to Horticulture Mathung Yanthan, and commissioner and secretary Y Kikheto Sema on Thursday at the Horticulture Research Farm, Pfutsero. After the signing of MoU, the department handed over a primary processing unit and large cardamom dryer to the firm.

While appreciating the chairman of the board of directors, Phek Organic Large Cardamom Farmers Producer Ltd., Wepekah Wetsah, for their sincerity and hard work, Yanthan called upon the farmers to learn modern and scientific technologies for farming. “World is changing so fast,” he said. “Our agriculture system also should be in tune with the changing time.”

He urged the farmers to have resource efficiency and take up farming as entrepreneurship. “In fact, farmers should think that they are businessmen and should keep the principle of business in their mind and earn profit out of their farming activities,” he added.

Stating that farming should be made easier, Yanthan expressed hope that the MoU with Phek Organic Large Cardamom Farmers Producer Ltd. would result in farmers producing more crops. He also assured that the state government would always be with them.

Sema lauded the Chakhesang community for their hardworking culture, saying that other tribes can learn many things from them. He also stated that the Chakhesangs work in ‘unison and had excellent farming skills and activities’, recalling how they stopped importing livestock from outside the state in their areas for the last more than 10 year.

He went on to say that the Chakhesangs earn more incomes by producing their local livestock, and that their socio-economy improvement and stability is encouraging. “You (Chakhesangs) are in no way backward,” he said. “You are advanced and progressive.”

Sema said that the department would take their success stories to other districts, and that it is an inspiration and source of encouragement for other tribes. He also expressed happiness on learning that 500 farmers from 23 villages had successfully cultivated large cardamom with an annual turnover of INR 6 crore from in 500 hectares.

This means a farmer earns an average of INR 1.20 lakh or revenue from one village is INR 26 lakh. “This is a huge encouragement,” he said.

Wetsah thanked the department of Horticulture for the trust reposed in them and assured that they would work hard not only to increase production but also to increase the number of farmers.

Director of Horticulture Dr. R Elithung Lotha, and district Horticulture officer, Phek, Moalemba also spoke during the occasion. Farmers from various villages, departmental officers from the district, social workers, GBs and others attended the programme.