First Banana Festival concludes in Wokha

WOKHA — The inaugural edition of the Banana Festival, a three-day celebration held at Wokha Public Ground, concluded on Friday with a vibrant display of competitions and technical sessions.

The festival featured a range of engaging activities, including a banana-eating contest, fruit salad-making competition, best banana bunch contest, fancy dress and costume competition themed on bananas, quiz competition on banana cultivation and nutrition for school students, and sharpest machete contest.

Technical sessions during the event focused on three key areas: input and disease control, value addition, and marketing and sales strategies for banana cultivation.

The final day witnessed an enthusiastic turnout for the sharpest machete competition, which saw participation from 17 individuals, including two women. Winners were determined based on the number of successful clean chops.

Also read: Banana Festival: Wokha showcases innovation, collaboration

Chombenthung Tsopoe, who had earlier clinched the title in the banana-eating contest, emerged as the winner of the machete competition as well. Renphamo Tsanglao and Yanthungo Tsopoe were adjudged first and second runners-up, respectively.

Prizes were handed over by Anuranjan Singh, Skill Development Officer Wokha; James Ezung, District Welfare Officer; and Myingthungo Kikon, General Manager of DIC Wokha. The competition was supervised by Team Metamorphosis, a local NGO based in Wokha.

Over 100 exhibition stalls showcased diverse banana species and varieties, along with machinery and equipment such as banana fibre extraction units. The festival also recognised excellence through awards for best stall, best value addition, and other categories, with recipients receiving cash prizes, certificates, and agricultural machinery.

The Banana Festival 2025 culminated on a high note with the signing of memorandums of understandings (MoUs) between the district administration and various institutions aimed at promoting marketing platforms and skill training for farmers.

These partnerships are expected to transform the landscape of banana farming in the district and beyond through enhanced capacity building, innovation, and sustainable agricultural practices.