Tuensang adopts project to address Covid-19 impact on agriculture, food security

Dimapur, Oct. 17 (EMN): To improve adaptation to spurring dramatic changes by the Covid-19 pandemic and enhance food security in a sustainable way, Tuensang district initiated a convergence programme called “Mitigating food and nutritional insecurity and ushering in returns for rural farmers through convergence in Tuensang district” under the thrust area of diversifying and intensifying high valued vegetable production.

The project was a convergence of all agri and allied departments, Nabard with involvement of Eleutheros Christian Society and Churches (NGO), spearheaded by Tuensang district administration and Nagaland Police. The main objective of the project is to enhance food and nutritional security- not only for rural farmers who are the producers but also urban population who depend on the surplus products supplied by producers; to generate additional income for the rural farmers; and create employment avenues for the rural daily wage earners and returnees, an update received from the project management committee stated.

The project was launched by Deputy Commissioner of Tuensang Kumar Ramnikant, in the presence of Superintendent of Police Bharat Laxman Markad and stakeholders during the month of August.

The project is being implemented in eight villages, supporting 502 farmers under rabi vegetable production.

All agricultural technology aspects, training and extension activities are being supported by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ATMA, Horticulture and Agriculture departments and assisted by field staff (livelihood) of ECS, it informed.

The implementing partners firmly believe that the project will not only mitigate food and nutritional insecurity for both rural farmers and urban population during the pandemic but also reduce dependency on import of food and vegetables from other states in a sustainable way.

“The novel coronavirus has continued to spread causing deaths and dramatic changes in all sectors and systems, with significant effects on economic, health, transportation, and education systems, equally important are its impact on local and national food systems in spite of all the measures. The nationwide lockdown has interrupted the supply chain of products from neighbouring states creating a huge vacuum threatening the food and nutritional security of the people especially in places like Tuensang. Dependence on markets with supplied goods from neighbouring states has limited the capacity for diversifying local food production systems in the district increasing the demand for food while creating huge food scarcity,” it stated.