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Naga women sell locally produced food items at the newly launched daily market at supermarket area in Dimapur on Tuesday. (EM Images)[/caption]
Dimapur, Sep. 4 (EMN): An organic marketplace by the name ‘Local Products Daily Market’ was inaugurated by the principal secretary for Horticulture MK Mero at the Supermarket in front of the Mokokchung bus and taxi stand in Dimapur on Tuesday.
The market is an initiative of the Farmer Producer’s Organisation (FPO) of Dimapur district. The market sells a variety of local produce such as bamboo shoot, tomatoes, bitter gourd, bitter eggplant; yams, oranges etc., sourced from various districts.
Delivering a speech as the chief speaker of the event, Mero said “market is very important for both farmers and consumers. Therefore, it is fortunate to have such location for both parties.” He assured to provide ample facilities so that the market can export and import goods in huge quantities. He advised stakeholders to have proper price regulations for sustainability. Likewise, he asked them to keep the vicinity clean.
Mero also committed to building a cold storage facility in the market premises for which the Development Authority of Nagaland (DAN), through its chairman Nyamnyei Konyak, had agreed to provide a plot of land for it. Konyak also guaranteed to assist the stakeholders of the market through various centrally sponsored schemes for cold storage facilities.
In his short speech the director of Horticulture Dr. R Elithung Lotha appreciated the DAN for giving the place for a market where farmers can bring their produce. He encouraged the public to come and buy the organic produce. He assured all possible help from the department.
The chairman of Naga Council Action Committee, Vekhosayi Nyekhu, assured that the market would be free from tax collection.
Interacting with Eastern Mirror was the secretary of FPO for Dimapur district, Neivizonou Nyekha. Nyekha informed that the organisation had been helping farmers since 2011 by providing seeds, equipments, tools, and assisting them in obtaining benefits from various schemes. But the farmers incurred loss as there was no platform for them to sell their products. So the organisation decided to establish a marketplace which would exclusively sell ‘local organic products.’
Also, Nyekha said that the main purpose of the market was to provide a channel for local farmers to sell their products and to encourage educated unemployed youths.
The chairman of the FPO, Chozukhwu Nyekha, told this reporter that the consumption of local vegetables should be encouraged. He said that death from consuming meat was more than those occurring due to alcohol consumption.
Nyekha said that a cold chamber in one of the sheds would be built by the department of Horticulture on Wednesday.
During the inaugural ceremony, a competition was conducted among the farmers. It was based on the criteria of quality, quantity, and presentation. Three farmers namely KL Vadeo of Bate village, Shurhozeli Zumuu of Urra village, and Mortom of Dansaripar FIG won the first, second, and third prize in that order. Cash prizes were given to the winners, which were sponsored by the Bharatiya Farmers Agro Business Development Cooperative Ltd.
In a later session, 170 plastic crates were distributed to the vendors by the department of Horticulture.