Nagaland likely to face food crisis if monsoon fails, says Agriculture Production Commissioner

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 22 (EMN): Amid the Covid pandemic, Nagaland is likely to face another crisis in the form of food scarcity if the state fails to receive monsoon rains by second week of July.

This view was expressed by the Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), Y Kikheto Sema, on Tuesday during field visits to different villages in Dimapur district.

He was accompanied by Director of Agriculture M Ben Yanthan, Director of Horticulture Dr. R Elithung Lotha, District Agriculture Officer Atoi Sema and District Horticulture Officer Temsu Longkumer.

With sparse rainfall received from December 2020 to April 2021, Sema expressed apprehension that food production could be reduced by 70%, a concern to feed the total population of Nagaland.

As 79% of farmers are engaged in jhum cultivation and 29% in terrace farming, the official stated that the vagary of monsoon pattern this year has caused much anxiety not only to the farmers but also to the government.

During the field visit to Bade village under Dhansiripar sub-division, he personally witnessed the “pathetic” condition of the farmers. He saw the farmers’ multiple attempts to raise nursery beds for transplantation of paddy, which never succeeded due to scarcity of water. Besides that, he inspected turmeric, ginger and other vegetable crops which failed to germinate due to want of water.

With large scale failure on agriculture in Dimapur district alone, he expressed his concern for farmers in other parts of Nagaland, which is characterised by high terrains and where people mostly practice jhum cultivation.

Despite the grim situation, Sema affirmed to ‘never give up’, saying that the state government would do everything to assist the farmers. He informed that agri and allied departments would distribute rabi (winter) crops by September and October.

In this regard, he encouraged the farmers to remain consistent in their endeavours and to work harder to make up the losses incurred during the pandemic as well as the present drought-like situation.

Sema and his team also visited Tsithrongse village on the way to Bade village.

At Molvon ‘Pineapple village,’ he expressed delight at the sight of the pineapple fields on the verge of harvest and encouraged the farmers to continue with their good works.

He disclosed his plan to build close relations with Israel in terms of exchanging technology and ideas in agriculture. Boosting the morale of the farmers and also to create a marketing network, he informed that the agri and allied departments had decided to organise a pineapple exhibition in Kolkata and New Delhi in a few months’ time.

Terming the present situation ‘extraordinary time’ for the Nagas, the official said that it is ‘a calling’ to the people to humble themselves and pray for God’s intervention. He urged the farmers to continue with their work and also seek God’s intervention to overcome the precarious situation.

Both the directors of Agriculture and Horticulture also provided inputs on farming and other government programmes and policies to the farmers.

The team informed that they would visit other districts in the days to come.